Have you ever seen bodybuilders with exceptional muscles and bodies? Many people get inspired by their incredible muscle strength and want to become like them. But! Hold on! Sometimes they use Steroids to increase their muscle strength. Now, what are Steroids? Let’s have a look at them!

Steroids are basically hormones. The human body naturally produces them, but now they are available at markets too. Steroids that are available in the market are called Synthetic or Artificial Steroids. Doctors never prescribe them to a healthy man. And even they don’t prescribe it to build extra muscular strength (like some bodybuilders usually do).
So, without wasting a single minute, we are going to discuss them in-depth.

Keep Reading and Educate Yourself!

Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids (Most Dangerous Type of Steroids)

The word Anabolic here represents Growth Promotion, whereas Androgenic represents Development of Male Sex Characteristics. This Steroid is highly harmful to your health if you take it without any valid reason or the doctor’s prescription. Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids (AAS) are a synthetic form of Testosterone (primary male sex hormone).

It affects your kidneys, hair follicles, muscles, bones, liver, reproductive, and nervous system greatly. The human body naturally produces them, and during puberty, their level increases to promote the development of male sex traits such as deeper voice, body hair growth, and sex drive.

It also helps increase height and muscle mass. The average Testosterone level produced in males is 300-1000 ng/dL, whereas in females, 15-89 ng/dL. But people take it artificially to increase muscle mass and strength, which is a very unhealthy practice. Let’s see how people are consuming this harmful Steroid!

4 Inappropriate Ways of Taking Steroids

  1. Cycling
    Some people start taking multiple doses, and then stop and then restart. It is called Cycling.
  2. Pyramiding
    Some people steadily increase the dose or frequency, ultimately going to the peak and then lapping back to zero. This unethical practice is called Pyramiding.
  3. Stacking
    Some people combine two or more doses and sometimes mix the oral dose with injecting. This type of practice is known as Stacking.
  4. Plateauing
    Some people alternate, substitute, or overlap Steroids with one another to avoid developing patience, tolerance, and self-control. This particular practice is known as Plateauing.

All these practices are unethical and highly dangerous for the health of people. Let’s dive deep to have a look at some of the most chronic side effects of Steroid intake!

Serious Brain Damage

Intake of Steroids is an unhealthy practice, but intake of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids is exceptionally hazardous for your brain. Because, unlike other typical steroids, Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid does not activate the reward system instantly. Instead, it works like slow-poisoning. So, what does it do? Have a look!

• It makes you paranoid, extremely unreasonable, judgmental, and jealous.
• It makes you believe in false beliefs and irrational ideas. In other words, it makes you Delusional.
• It creates an extreme level of irritability.
• It makes you highly aggressive; that is called “Roid Rage.”

Other Serious Side Effects of Steroid Intake

Apart from the above-mentioned mental health issues, intake of Steroids can also cause some severe side effects.
For-Example:

• A person who injects Steroids, especially Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids, becomes an easy target. And he can instantly contract or transmit HIV, AIDS, Hepatitis.
• Intake of Steroids also causes Severe Acne problems.
• Body Swelling, especially hands and feet.

Apart from these problems, intake of Steroids can cause some severe and long-term health issues; these include:

A person who intakes Steroids orally or injects them without a doctor’s prescription actually does significant damage to his kidneys. And this damage is permanent because one cannot get his healthy kidneys back once they are problematic.

Apart from kidney problems, intake of Steroids is highly harmful to your Heart Health. It causes high blood pressure and increases the risk of heart attack, even among young people. It also increases the risk of stroke, blood clotting, and tumor.

Some of the side effects of Steroids in Men:

• It creates baldness in Men.
• It decreases sperm count.
• It shrinks testicles.
• It increases the risk of prostate cancer.
• Development of breasts.

Some of the side effects of Steroids in Women:

• Increase in growth of facial hair.
• Excessive growth of hair on the body.
• It decreases their breast size.
• It changes or sometimes stops their menstrual cycle.
• It enlarges the clitoris.
• It deepens their voice.
• Male pattern baldness appears.

Some of the side effects of Steroids in Teens:

• It stunts their growth.
• It restricts their height.

When teens use Steroids, it stunts their height and growth because this hormone signals bone not to get stronger. And also, when during teenage, you consume Steroids, it affects your development by affecting growth spurt.

Apart from the problems mentioned above, Steroids Make you Addicted, have a look how:

Constant misuse of Steroids can make you Addicted. People become so worried to buy these high-cost drugs. And it directly or indirectly affects your relationships. The person who misuses Steroids can quickly turn to other drugs especially, Opioids. They do so to fight problems such as lack of sleep and irritability caused by Steroids.
And the most terrible part is Withdrawal Symptoms:

When you try to withdraw from this addiction, you face some crucial symptoms such as:

• Fatigue
• Restlessness
• Loss of Appetite
• Sleep Deprivation
• Steroid Cravings
• Severe depression
• Suicidal Attempts

The Bottom Line

Steroids are very harmful in every way, whether you take them orally or inject them. No matter what method you are taking, they can never be good for you. Steroids are addictive and promote many diseases, including HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis. Moreover, the person who takes them also faces many problems like acne, fatigue, and depression.

So, in short, there is no cure. The only way to avoid this problem is to leave the addiction to Steroids. Once you decide to leave the habit with strong determination, you will win. But there can be many issues while leaving the addiction too. So, all you need is s strong mindset and will. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle and Live Happily Ever after!