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Drug Addiction - Information on Steroids
Steroids are basically derived from male testosterone.
They usually come in the form of an injection
or a pill. Steroids do have legitimate medical
application for those who suffer from motor diseases
of the body, such as bone or muscle wasting diseases;
steroids are used to counter the effect, as well
as males suffering from testosterone deficiency.
Since the 1980's steroids have become the 'gain
muscle quick' drug of bodybuilders. In the bodybuilding
world, steroid abuse/misuse is at its most rife.
The most common way someone gets accustomed/addicted
to using steroids is the newcomer to bodybuilding
who is ill-advised that if he/she takes steroids
for only a few months and works out, they will
generate almost unbelievable muscle mass within
a very short space of time, muscle mass which
would usually take years to develop. This is true;
steroids do develop muscles very quickly. The
problem is the effects on the body which they
have, and also the fact that due to the very nature
of bodybuilding itself as a constant progression,
it is very hard for some bodybuilders who have
used steroids to finally give them up or realise
it is time they stopped using them.
The effects of steroid usage on the body are
different for both males and females. Below is
a brief summary of the effects:
Effect on Males
Because steroids are basically testosterone,
the body is having not only its own internally
occurring natural dose of testosterone delivered
to it, but an additional source. The body knows
it cannot regulate the outside dose (the steroids)
of testosterone, so as a countermeasure it produces
less of its own testosterone. For males, this
can have a multitude of negative results. Impotence
can occur as the testicles (production centre
of testosterone) shrink; sperm count can be reduced
significantly or almost completely and also severe
hair loss. Also, due to the fact that not everyone's
heart is naturally capable of carrying the new
huge body mass which has quickly been developed
by the steroids, and also is not adequately equipped
to easily supply the new body mass with blood,
this can put extreme pressure on the heart, which
can eventually lead to heart problems and death.
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