What effects
do anabolic steroids have
on behavior?
Case
reports and small studies indicate that anabolic steroids, particularly
in high doses, increase irritability and aggression. Some steroid
abusers report that they have committed aggressive acts, such as physical
fighting, committing armed robbery, or using force to obtain something.
Some abusers also report that they have committed property crimes,
such as stealing from a store, damaging or destroying others' property,
or breaking into a house or a building. Abusers who have committed
aggressive acts or property crimes generally report that they engage
in these behaviors more often when they take steroids than when they
are drug-free.
Some researchers have suggested
that steroid abusers may commit aggressive acts and property crimes
not because of steroids' direct effects on the brain but because the
abusers have been affected by extensive media attention to the link
between steroids and aggression. According to this theory, the abusers
are using this possible link as an excuse to commit aggressive acts
and property crimes.
One way to distinguish between these
two possibilities is to administer either high steroid doses or placebo
for days or weeks to human volunteers and then ask the people to report
on their behavioral symptoms. To date, four such studies have been
conducted. In three, high steroid doses did produce greater feelings
of irritability and aggression than did placebo; but in one study,
the drugs did not have that effect. One possible explanation, according
to researchers, is that some but not all anabolic steroids increase
irritability and aggression.
Anabolic steroids have
been reported also to cause other behavioral effects, including euphoria,
increased energy, sexual arousal, mood swings, distractibility, forgetfulness,
and confusion. In the studies in which researchers administered high
steroid doses to volunteers, a minority of the volunteers developed
behavioral symptoms that were so extreme as to disrupt their ability
to function in their jobs or in society. In a few cases, the volunteers'
behavior presented a threat to themselves and others.
In summary, the extent
to which steroid abuse contributes to violence and behavioral disorders
is unknown. As with the health complications of steroid abuse, the
prevalence of extreme cases of violence and behavioral disorders seems
to be low, but it may be underreported or underrecognized.
Are anabolic steroids
addictive?
An
undetermined percentage of steroid abusers become addicted to the
drugs, as evidenced by their continuing to take steroids in spite
of physical problems, negative effects on social relations, or nervousness
and irritability. Also, they spend large amounts of time and money
obtaining the drugs and experience withdrawal symptoms such as mood
swings, fatigue, restlessness, loss of appetite, insomnia, reduced
sex drive, and the desire to take more steroids. The most dangerous
of the withdrawal symptoms is depression, because it sometimes leads
to suicide attempts. Untreated, some depressive symptoms associated
with anabolic steroid withdrawal have been known to persist for a
year or more after the abuser stops taking the drugs.
What can be done to
prevent steroid abuse?
Early
attempts to prevent steroid abuse concentrated on drug testing and
on educating students about the drugs' adverse effects. A few school
districts test for abuse of illicit drugs, including steroids, and
studies are currently under way to determine whether such testing
reduces drug abuse.
Research on steroid educational programs
has shown that simply teaching students about steroids' adverse effects
does not convince adolescents that they personally can be adversely
affected. Nor does such instruction discourage young people from taking
steroids in the future. Presenting both the risks and benefits of
anabolic steroid use is more effective in convincing adolescents about
steroids' negative effects, apparently because the students find a
balanced approach more credible and less biased, according to the
researchers. However, the balanced approach still does not discourage
adolescents from abusing steroids.
A more sophisticated approach
has shown promise for preventing steroid abuse among players on high
school sports teams. In the ATLAS program, developed for male football
players, coaches and team leaders discuss the potential effects of
anabolic steroids and other illicit drugs on immediate sports performance,
and they teach how to refuse offers of drugs. They also discuss how
strength training and proper nutrition can help adolescents build
their bodies without the use of steroids. Later, special trainers
teach the players proper weightlifting techniques. An ongoing series
of studies has shown that this multicomponent, team-centered approach
reduces new steroid abuse by 50 percent. A program designed for adolescent
girls on sports teams, patterned after the program designed for boys,
is currently being tested.
What treatments are
effective
for steroid abuse?
Few
studies of treatments for anabolic steroid abuse have been conducted.
Current knowledge is based largely on the experiences of a small number
of physicians who have worked with patients undergoing steroid withdrawal.
The physicians have found that supportive therapy is sufficient in
some cases. Patients are educated about what they may experience during
withdrawal and are evaluated for suicidal thoughts.
If symptoms are severe
or prolonged, medications or hospitalization may be needed.
Some medications that have
been used for treating steroid withdrawal restore the hormonal system
after its disruption by steroid abuse. Other medications target specific
withdrawal symptomsÑfor example, antidepressants to treat depression,
and analgesics for head-aches and muscle and joint pains.
Some patients require assistance
beyond simple treatment of withdrawal symptoms and are treated with
behavioral therapies.
For
immediate assistance call us at 1-800-762-5433.