So you’re curious about steroids?  Well, the reality is that some steroids are great! Yes…great!  This is because some steroids help you grow and develop into a healthy adult. They mimic your body’s natural “steroids,” otherwise known as hormones. Hormones known as estrogen (a female sex hormone), progesterone and testosterone (a male sex hormone) are naturally produced in your body, especially during puberty. These naturally-occurring hormones help to support bodily functions that fight stress and promote growth and development.

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Knowing this positive side of steroids, it should come as no surprise that people would take an interest in them.  Steroids that mimic these natural hormones were invented during the 1930s, then soon after they were used to enhance the performance of athletes. Steroids are legitimately used by people with growth problems and other medical conditions, but the steroid use we usually hear about has to do with people using them for superficial reasons, which is what we call steroid abuse. 

In today’s society, one of the major reasons why people decide to abuse steroids is because they think these will improve their appearance and physical abilities. Humans seem to always be on a quest to improve their self-image, and a lot of the pressure to do so comes from the media and cultural norms in our society.  They are also a big hit in the body building and sports world, where an athlete’s salary and success is based on their athletic performance.  But years of evidence have proven that people who abuse steroids can end up doing the opposite to their image, while sometimes causing irreversible damage to their bodies.

Just think of steroids as “air”, and your body as the “balloon.” Adding air to your balloon may make you bulk up, or look and feel like you have increased your muscle mass, but ultimately, if you stop taking steroids you will deflate like a balloon…and not only deflate, but become flabby. Unfortunately, with these steroids, becoming flabby is not your only problem.  Although it might make you stronger on the outside, it can make you weaker on the inside, make you get sick more often, and can lead to more serious health problems.

Steroids are commonly known by names like roids, juice, hype, weight trainers, gym candy, Arnolds, stackers, or pumpers.   They can be found in the form of steroid pills, gels, creams, and injections.   Black Snake Moan move It is important to note that there are several types of steroids.  One is Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which is an essential, naturally occurring hormone in your body.   However, artificial HGH may affect your body by shutting down its own production of the hormone. Also, an analysis of more than two dozen studies concluded that HGH caused athletes to fatigue faster, and their “muscle growth” may be through “fluid retention” rather than tissue growth, which basically means that the muscles gained look bigger, but performed the same (or worse!).

There are also steroidal supplements such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and/or androstenedione, also known as andro, which used to be legal over-the-counter drugs, but are now only prescribed by a doctor—and are illegal if not.  But overall, the most commonly used and abused are called Anabolic steroids. These are used as a way to enhance athletic performance, but have since been banned by practically every legitimate sports organization when it was discovered that their use can cause a range of side effects…just look at this list:

• premature balding or hair loss
• dizziness Cheaper by the Dozen move
• mood swings, including anger, aggression, and depression
• seeing or hearing things that aren’t there (hallucinations)
• extreme feelings of mistrust or fear (paranoia)
• problems sleeping
• diarrhea, nausea and vomiting
• trembling
• high blood pressure that can damage the heart or blood vessels over time
• aching and numbing sensation in joints and limbs
• greater chance of injuring muscles and tendons
• jaundice or yellowing of the skin; liver damage
• urinary problems
• shortening of final adult height (for those of you who are still growing – you can grow until your early 20s)
• increased risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer
• painful acne (all over the body)
• excessive oily hair and skin
• red or purple blotches on body
• swelling of hands and feet
• bad, bad breath (mmmmm!)
• possible HIV/AIDS and hepatitis transmission if not using clean needles to inject

Specific risks for girls include:

• increased facial hair growth Making Waves move
• development of masculine traits, such as deepening of the voice, and loss of feminine body characteristics, such as shrinking of the breasts
• enlargement of the clitoris
• menstrual cycle changes

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Specific risks for guys include:

• shrinking of testicles
• pain when urinating
• breast development…we repeat, breast development
• impotence (inability to get or keep an erection)
• sterility (inability to have children)
• reduced sperm count

Yet, with all this physical evidence of negative consequences, companies that manufacture steroids “conveniently” continue to deny the serious long-term health effects related with steroid use. And yes, let us not forget about addiction.  

A lot of people tell themselves they’ll only use steroids for a season or a school year. Unfortunately, steroids can be addictive, making it extremely hard to stop taking them.  There are even some high profile cases involving professional wrestlers’ suicides and murders, which can be directly related to steroid abuse.

One additional warning involves the authenticity of these substances.  As with other illegal and illicit drugs, they are often not what they are supposed to be and completely bogus materials are often passed off as steroids.  Illegal steroids are made in other countries and smuggled into the U.S. or made in underground labs.  They are not regulated by the U.S. government and may not be “pure” or labeled correctly.  Therefore, if it was not obtained through a prescription, it could be anything!

Because even scientists don’t understand exactly how steroids interact with each other or possibly cause reactions to other medications, (or even mixing it with alcohol or illicit drugs), it’s possible that a person who stacks (uses a combination of two or more anabolic steroids) or takes steroids with other drugs may accidentally take a deadly combination.

When it comes right down to it, harming your body or getting disqualified aren’t smart ways to try to improve your beauty or athletic performance. Let’s face it, if you are looking to better your body image, or become a star athlete, you must personally enjoy a challenge, right? The most rewarding challenge, and the most lasting, comes when you train the healthy way: eating the right foods, practicing, and strength training without the use of drugs. 

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For more information about body image, read Unhappy With the Way You Look? and Did You Say Exercise? The vast majority of teens in Hawaii are not abusing steroids, but if you have even the slightest concern that you (or someone you know) may be drug dependent or are misusing drugs, we suggest you talk to someone at a counseling center.  If this is an emergency, please call 911, or for more information contact a TeenLine Peer Listener Monday through Friday between 2:00-5:00 p.m.  For information on treatment programs, contact Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii at 545-3228 ext. 34.  You can also email them at prc@drugfreehawaii.orgor log on at www.drugfreehawaii.org.