Steroid addiction a risk for young athletes

[ChemicalD]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7348758/

All beacuse two under-18 kids committed suicide after taking steroids.
Let's just overlook how many die from suicide as a result of RECREATIONAL drug use/abuse...
Another one-sided chirade.

 

[Simco4]

Yeah, I don't think steroid abuse is a big issue when it comes to suicide in young athletes. However, instead of coming out with these articles, maybe these steroid critics should focus more on the problem of the source. I mean, steroids are like any other drug. If you really want it you can get it. Even if you are still in high school. So maybe the real issue here is the people around these youngsters that condone their use of steroids. And it does exist. These people would be the coaches who want the state championship and the parent that always wants his son to be the best. I'm not saying that all coaches and parents are like this, but they do exist. They are the real source of the problem whether they are ignorant to the damages that it causes or not.

 

[PastorofMuppets]

Good lord what a misleading article title:

"While some doctors argue there is not strong evidence of steroid addiction among humans, others cite evidence that withdrawal symptoms can last up to six months or longer"


The title warns of addiction, but then mentions in passing that there is no strong evidence to support that supposition.

Ok everyone, feeback time.

Cripes, just a cursory amount of research would have told this woman about PCT.

 

[The Experiment]

There are a lot of High School coaches that know their players are juicing but look the other way. They'd rather make it to the playoffs than tell their kids to get off of it. Its unfortunate that teenagers and irresponsible adults are causing steroid problems but they are largely minimal in the scheme of drug abuse. I find it odd how one random steroid case makes front pages (well, not really) but alcohol overdosing is largely ignored. Why? I doubt the media really wants to attack steroids as much as lets say cocaine.

I think the real reason is suburbia. People are scared that suburban kids and semi-wealthy adults are consuming drugs. Kind of a "there goes the neighborhood" thing. Like the story about how more and more kids are abusing painkillers. Nevermind that there are inner city kids smoking crack and shooting up heroin. They want to focus on the suburban and lets face it, white kids. Steroids are much more of a "suburbia white kids" thing. If steroids were an inner city problem, the media wouldn't give a damn about them.

 

[CDB]

I think the real reason is suburbia. People are scared that suburban kids and semi-wealthy adults are consuming drugs. Kind of a "there goes the neighborhood" thing. Like the story about how more and more kids are abusing painkillers. Nevermind that there are inner city kids smoking crack and shooting up heroin. They want to focus on the suburban and lets face it, white kids. Steroids are much more of a "suburbia white kids" thing. If steroids were an inner city problem, the media wouldn't give a damn about them.

There's definitely some truth to that. I think it's just a matter of audience.

 

[ryansm]

I think the real reason is suburbia. People are scared that suburban kids and semi-wealthy adults are consuming drugs. Kind of a "there goes the neighborhood" thing. Like the story about how more and more kids are abusing painkillers. Nevermind that there are inner city kids smoking crack and shooting up heroin. They want to focus on the suburban and lets face it, white kids. Steroids are much more of a "suburbia white kids" thing. If steroids were an inner city problem, the media wouldn't give a damn about them.

Drug use (specifically caocaine) is much more rampant than you think amongst "white Suburbia."

It's just not spoken of due to its longevity. Steroids are "popular" right now in the media.

 

[Beowulf]

In Massachusetts the abuse of heroin in the burbs is actually pretty rampant right now. You don't hear anything about teens using steroids around here. I'm sure its happening, but they actually do focus on heroin...now that it made its way from the inner-city to the burbs. The problem is there is a big influx of cheap heroin from Colombia. You can get a bag of heroin for less than a pack of cigarettes. Kids start out with Oxy, can't afford it, and start doing heroin for 1/5 the price. I think most snort it.

 

[CDB]

In Massachusetts the abuse of heroin in the burbs is actually pretty rampant right now. You don't hear anything about teens using steroids around here. I'm sure its happening, but they actually do focus on heroin...now that it made its way from the inner-city to the burbs. The problem is there is a big influx of cheap heroin from Colombia. You can get a bag of heroin for less than a pack of cigarettes. Kids start out with Oxy, can't afford it, and start doing heroin for 1/5 the price. I think most snort it.

I only did that once, would never snort it again. The effects came on like a freight train. Heroin is a drug whose addictive properties I understood right after the first time. Amazing. Dangerously addictive on all levels, but an amazing feeling.

One thing that always gets me is, when I think of all the **** my friends and I did when we were young as far as drugs, and how much a lot of people my age and older did, why such a big deal is made of most drug use. Most people who use them turned out pretty good it seems, stopping after a while, with few falling into the pit of addiction. The hysteria around this subject astounds me.

 

[John Smeton]

steroids are not addicting as long as the person using them has good mental health.Thats why its important to be mentally healthy before you even consider using steroids.

 

[Beowulf]

I work with a kid who juiced while in high school. He doesn't really talk about it, but he told me the whole story. He said he loved being on so much that he actually sought psych. help to get off. Obviously, he didn't know to do or do any PCT. He is quite voluptuous now. Maybe the "addictive" qualities are worse for teens, who have less judgment and a harder time anticipating consequences and appreciating the importance of time off.

 

[bioman]

Good point smelton.

Even then they are, IMO, habit forming if one is uneducated about abuse or using them as a crutch for fear of getting small again. Muscle dysmorphia is real and it's the reason we see people doing ridiculous things with AAS..ie staying on all year, stacking far too many compounds et cetera.

IMO, if one takes steroids one must accept the fact that one will shrink down again. It's people who can't accept this that end up being "on forever".

We all like the way we feel when on, but the enlightened know that there is a price to be paid when coming off.

 

[The Experiment]

Anything can be addictive if people choose to be addicted to it.

There's definitely some truth to that. I think it's just a matter of audience.

I think this is the main reason. Steroids are a hot topic (thanks to Canseco) but most parents just can't come to terms that their children are consuming these substances. Gear gets a lot of heat but the images of other drugs are much worse. The only people that really give a damn about this **** is the government because they have to oversee baseball. Most Americans have a low opinion of juice but there was some article, maybe posted here, that show that the amount of kids that think steroids are bad has gone down.

These people are going to grow up and demand more explanations from the government than this scare tactic laden policy when it comes to AAS. If a million kids took gear and are fine, chances are they'll laugh when they see people like Hooton call people who juice cowards. Yeah, his son died from not doing any PCT but the more kids educate themselves, the more intelligent decisions they will make.

Drug use (specifically caocaine) is much more rampant than you think amongst "white Suburbia."

I know but when people think of sports, they think about their own experiences. Some football center has a kid and has a special affinity for football. The kid is on the team and his friend is shooting up Test for the advantage. Then his dad discovers some Dbol tabs and goes nuts. Then the kid tells the father that he just wants a competitive edge. Then the guy concludes that steroids are the devil because how football was done in 1965 is a different story than how things are done in 2005.

Most people who hate steroids are people clinging to an old fantasy about sports and can't comprehend that it has cosmetic uses.

I'm sure its happening, but they actually do focus on heroin...now that it made its way from the inner-city to the burbs

Thats because its the "there goes the neighborhood" thing. Juice does not compare to heroin in media scorn and hype. Suburbanites just don't want their kids to be doing drugs so they can still look good compared to their neighbors. Then editorials feed into this and create a scare tactic culture with drugs.

 

[Beowulf]

Anything can be addictive if people choose to be addicted to it.

Having battled with addiction for many years and overcoming, I think this is a pretty useless comment. I'm not trying to be a dick, but have you ever stopped to consider the complexity of addiction? It is social, emotional, and biological. The situation is infinitely more involved than simple "choice". There is the choice of an insecure teen who "chooses" to try a beer or a line, but they are not choosing addiction. Their own shortsightedness is perhaps the biggest culprit in addiction. This is just one simple example.

You may choose to be "addicted" to bodybuilding or something similar, but your choice of addiction is really more of an act of dedication.

Suburbanites just don't want their kids to be doing drugs so they can still look good compared to their neighbors.

Lets not forget that they also might love their kids and not want them to do irreparable harm.

 

[Beowulf]

I only did that once, would never snort it again. The effects came on like a freight train. Heroin is a drug whose addictive properties I understood right after the first time. Amazing. Dangerously addictive on all levels, but an amazing feeling.

One thing that always gets me is, when I think of all the **** my friends and I did when we were young as far as drugs, and how much a lot of people my age and older did, why such a big deal is made of most drug use. Most people who use them turned out pretty good it seems, stopping after a while, with few falling into the pit of addiction. The hysteria around this subject astounds me.

My friends and I were the same way. I don't think I ever did heroin, but it is possible. I've smoked a shitload of opium and crystal. The first time I smoked coke I didn't even remember I had done it till a few days later when someone brought it up.

Now, myself and one other friend from that crew are doing well. Several dropped out of college (some never made it to college, though they should have). Most have shitty jobs that they loathe, and though they don't do drugs much anymore, their lives are still dominated by alcohol consumption.

That being said, I know other people who had similar pasts and just seemed to outgrow it. Perhaps you and your friends fall into that category. I know for me the transition involved tremendous suffering at times and a lifetime worth of willpower. In every conceiveable way I feel better today than i did when I was 18. Having gone through it and come out stronger I'm not sure I would change anything; that being said, I wouldn't wish it upon anyone.

 

[cable626]

beowulf, you are absolutely right: [teens] have less judgment and a harder time anticipating consequences

it's so true, especially nowadays when everything is so instant. teens don't wanna work for anything. fedex delivers overnight, email is sent instantly, you need to find information about anything--internet. most teens can't take a step back and say "okay, what is the best course of action" before diving into something stupid like steroids at 18 with no knowledge of diet, let alone PCT. I talk a friend out of doing steroids every week, they don't care about the consequences. but when they have the skinny body of a 17 year old when they're 25 i'll laugh at them.

 

[ryansm]

My friends and I were the same way. I don't think I ever did heroin, but it is possible. I've smoked a shitload of opium and crystal. The first time I smoked coke I didn't even remember I had done it till a few days later when someone brought it up.

Now, myself and one other friend from that crew are doing well. Several dropped out of college (some never made it to college, though they should have). Most have shitty jobs that they loathe, and though they don't do drugs much anymore, their lives are still dominated by alcohol consumption.

That being said, I know other people who had similar pasts and just seemed to outgrow it. Perhaps you and your friends fall into that category. I know for me the transition involved tremendous suffering at times and a lifetime worth of willpower. In every conceiveable way I feel better today than i did when I was 18. Having gone through it and come out stronger I'm not sure I would change anything; that being said, I wouldn't wish it upon anyone.

Your experiences are quite similar to mine.

 

[The Experiment]

Alright fine. I fucked up.

 

[Matthew D]

Addicition is a very slippery slope.. most of us that have battled with one some time time or another KNOW it is not easy to just drop it.. you always have the feeling in your mind that "I am bigger than this and I can put it down at anytime" and guess what.. IT ISN'T that easy.. I still think there is some part of the human genome that is coded for compulsive behaviors.. just too many of us kids of people that had/have addiction end up battling our own set of demons..

 

[Matthew D]

The thing is HS kids SHOULD NOT even being using AAS in any form.. all you are doing by doing this is fuel the fire when it comes to all the outrageous claims.. because YOU do stand a better that even chance of really screwing up your endocrine system due to the fact that it is flux during your HS period..

 

[bioman]

You guys are right on all levels. Addiction is a complex issue with complex causes. Billions of people on the planet are addicted to something or another. I am glad to see that we are willing to discuss the possibility of AAS addiction and it's easy to see that teens and adults can fall prey to this.

There are powerful brain interactions with androgens that biochemists are only just now begining to even look at so I do believe addiction is possible on the biochemical level as well as the social level. I also very much believe in roid rage but that's another topic.

All I know is that if I had easy access to AAS as a teen they would have rocked my world in a very bad way. I was already unstable as hell even without the influence of drugs and alcohol (I was clean believe it or not) and I'm positive the addition of AAS would have had dire mental consequences. I consider these mental consequnces a far greater danger than any endocronological issue teens might encounter when using.

Our political opponents will of course use this unfortunate fact to thier advantage as they will with riod rage. That is to be expected but for us to deny the existence of a problem with AAS will not deter them and will not put AAS any closer to social and political acceptance. Acceptance of AAS use is pretty much a pipe dream IMO, therefore our role is to educate the user and potential user as to the very real risks to their health...in other words help our brothers to avoid harming themselves and keep the little bro's out of the AAS loop.

 

[PastorofMuppets]

Hey, if I was in high school again and know as much as I know now about PCT and the like.....I'd probably do it.

Let's see, excellent athlete, androgenically enhanced penis growth, and high school cheerleaders to bang.....yeah I guess it would be pretty tempting, lol.

j/k folks!

 

[Boss_K]

it can happen bro....ive seen old vials that say lists "increased member size" as a side effect

 

[asap nutrition]

Amazing what the media and even some uneducated medical officals will create to scare the public.

 

[Beowulf]

Alright fine. I fucked up.

Well said. The willingness to admit error is a sign of intelligence. I admire that.

 

[Beowulf]

our role is to educate the user and potential user as to the very real risks to their health...in other words help our brothers to avoid harming themselves and keep the little bro's out of the AAS loop.

Well said. (It was all well said, but this was especially poignant).

 

[Nate Dawg]

Hey, if I was in high school again and know as much as I know now about PCT and the like.....I'd probably do it.

Let's see, excellent athlete, androgenically enhanced penis growth, and high school cheerleaders to bang.....yeah I guess it would be pretty tempting, lol.

j/k folks!

To be jacked in high school would be awesome! I didnt really know anything back then about them, but I know I would have probably taken them if I got the chance. I did 2 cycles of pinnacle's andro poppers, no pct of course, luckily everything turned out ok. I dont regret it at all, everything turned out just fine.

 

[The Experiment]

Well said. The willingness to admit error is a sign of intelligence. I admire that.

Thanks. I was basing it off of my addiction to food. While being addicted to food is very real, I should have realized it was no comparison to much harder drugs.

Would I have done steroids as a High Schooler? No. I'm a person who'd rather see a 10 lb gain on a lift for example than dramatic results. Plus my dad was a powerlifting competitor in the past who was pushing me to compete all throughout High School. I was a wimp who wanted nothing to do with competing. I knew if I were to take gear, I knew there'd be even more pressure to compete.

 

[davisville64]

The mad scientist that is davisville64 has come up with the "apple juice theorey"


The theorey states.... The 2 kids that commited suicide probably also drank apple juice, if you cant DIRECTLY connect the steroids with the death, then the apple juice should also be under scrutiny.


Yeah, I know coming off steroids, especally at 18, can cause depression. It's still a good theorey. And no, steroids didn't kill the kids, they killed themselves. Call me capton obvious on that one, but not many people come to that conclusion in this kind of thing.

 

[Jack of Shadows]

http://www.mesomorphosis.com/newsletters/2005/07/19.htm