Top 10 Signs of Steroid Use, Steroid Abuse Symptoms & Addiction Treatment

Signs of Steroid Use. How To Tell Someone is on Steroids

While most individuals on steroids aren’t muscle-bound bodybuilders, it’s still possible to know if a person uses steroids just by looking at them. Many are curious whether certain family members or loved ones are abusing anabolic-androgenic steroids. However, due to legality issues, health concerns, and social stigmas, many steroid abusers do not want to disclose such details (even to loved ones).

What is a steroid? Steroids are a man-made version of chemicals known as hormones, made naturally in the human body. Steroids are designed to act like these hormones to reduce inflammation. Steroids refer to two different classifications of drugs; corticosteroids and anabolic steroids. Corticosteroids are anti-inflammation medications usually prescribed to help treat conditions that cause inflammation, such as lupus or asthma. They are different from anabolic steroids, which act as performance-enhancing drugs.

The majority of steroid users take steroids to either enhance athletic performance or enhance their appearance. Most athlete steroid users take the drugs as a shortcut to becoming leaner, more muscular, and generally looking better. Many steroid users do not have the stereotypical bodybuilder physique. Signs of steroid use usually involve rapid lean muscle gain within ten weeks.

You might notice that your loved one is working out a lot more and receiving random packages in the mail. If the pills are in a bottle, you might hear them rattling around. If your loved one is getting vials, there may be warnings around the package that the contents are fragile. Signs of steroid abuse also include ordering syringes and needles.

Steroid Abuse Statistics

Most people who misuse steroids are male non-athlete weightlifters in their 20s or 30s. Contrary to popular belief, only 22 percent of anabolic steroid users started as teenagers. Anabolic steroid use is less common among females since fewer women desire extreme muscularity and the masculinizing effects of steroids. It is difficult to estimate the true prevalence of steroid misuse in the United States because many surveys that ask about illicit drug use do not include questions about steroids.

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Are Anabolic Steroids Addictive?

An undetermined percentage of steroid users may develop a steroid use disorder. Substance use disorders are defined by continued use despite adverse consequences; for steroid users, these may include physical or psychological problems such as breast growth (in men), sexual dysfunction, high blood pressure, excessive fats in the blood, heart disease, mood swings, severe irritability, or aggressiveness.

Long term side effects of steroid use are dependence and addiction to the substance.Anabolic steroid users also may give up other important activities for fear that they will miss workouts, violate their dietary restrictions, or be prevented from using steroids. Steroid users also typically spend large amounts of time and money obtaining the drugs, and they may try to reduce or stop anabolic steroid use without success—possibly due to depression, anxiety about losing muscle mass, or other unpleasant effects of withdrawal.

Withdrawal from steroids occurs when an individual develops dependence. A review of the research suggests that about 32 percent of people who misuse anabolic steroids become dependent. Symptoms of dependence can include tolerance, which requires taking more steroids to achieve the same effects. Another indicator of dependence is withdrawal once anabolic steroid use stops. Withdrawal symptoms can include fatigue, restlessness, loss of appetite, insomnia, reduced sex drive, and steroid cravings. The most dangerous of the withdrawal symptoms is depression because it sometimes leads to suicide attempts.

What are the Side Effects of Anabolic Steroid Use?

Possible side effects of anabolic steroids include:

Which is a possible long term effect of steroid use? Steroid abuse can also lead to significant behavioral and psychiatric issues. One of the most common issues documented in long-term steroid users is violent behavior. Domestic violence, armed robbery, and even murder have been associated with steroid use.

What are the Side Effects of Long Term Steroid Use?

Most medications, including steroids, have consequences if you need to take them over a prolonged period. Steroids (Corticosteroids) are commonly taken for a short period — for example, to treat upper respiratory infections, acute bronchitis, and uveitis (inflammation in the eye’s middle layer). However, some people need to take steroids over the long term because of the nature of their condition. Steroid long term use for arthritis is a typical example. Other conditions treated by steroids long-term include:

While all medications have side effects, a short course of steroids doesn’t usually cause issues. However, if you have to take steroids over the long term, you need to know about possible side effects, which can include:

What is safe steroid use? If you stop taking some steroid medications — such as topical steroids to treat skin conditions — after using them for 12 months or more, you may suffer from withdrawal side effects, including:

• Redness or changes to your skin color
• Burning, stinging, itchy, or peeling skin

What is a Systemic Corticosteroid?

Systemic steroids are synthetic derivatives of the natural steroid cortisol, produced by the adrenal glands, and have profound anti-inflammatory effects. Corticosteroids are different from the male hormone-related steroid compounds that some athletes abuse.

Systemic (cortico)steroids are also called glucocorticoids or cortisones. They include:

Prednisone and prednisolone are equivalent and are the most commonly prescribed oral corticosteroids for inflammatory skin diseases. 

What are the Side Effects of Prolonged Use of Steroid Eye Drops?

What are the side effects of chronic steroid use? Side effects of prolonged use of steroid eye drops is glaucoma. Steroid eye drops may cause glaucoma (increased pressure inside the eye) or posterior subcapsular cataracts (a rare type of cataract) if used too long. Slow or delayed healing may also occur while you are using this medicine after cataract surgery. This medicine may cause a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention.

How long can you use steroid eye drops? As with any medicine, you should always follow the recommended instructions on the label. You shouldn’t use over-the-counter eyedrops for more than 2 to 3 days. If you use them for longer than that, it can make matters worse. You shouldn’t use eyedrops if you have an eye infection or glaucoma.

Steroid Addiction Treatment

If you think a loved one is abusing drugs or alcohol, you should research the substances and their associated addiction to understand better what your loved one needs. Next, you must plan an intervention to provide your loved ones with options to battle the effects of drug addiction in a safe and supportive environment. During this intervention, offer compassion and support instead of judgment. Lastly, show your support throughout the entire treatment process.

In addition, prolonged drug use can have severe physical and psychological effects on you, so it is essential to seek treatment as soon as possible. To better understand how long steroids stay in your system, it is essential to get medical assistance when needed. Inpatient drug rehab offers intensive care that can help you promptly get through the early stages of drug withdrawal. 

Steroid Detox

Medical detox is often considered the first stage of treatment. It will help you navigate the complicated drug detox withdrawal but doesn’t address patterns of thought and behavior contributing to drug use. Various treatment approaches and settings can help provide the ongoing support necessary to maintain long-term sobriety after you complete the drug detox.

Cravings are very common during drug detox and can be challenging to overcome. This often leads to relapse. Constant medical care provided during inpatient treatment helps prevent relapse. Clinicians can give medication and medical expertise to lessen cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

Inpatient Drug Addiction Rehab

There isn’t one treatment approach or style that will suit everyone. Treatment should speak to the needs of the individual. Inpatient rehab and addiction treatment aren’t just about drug use. the goal is to help the patient stop using drugs and other substances, but drug rehab should also focus on the whole person’s needs.

Addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior. When someone or their family is considering different treatment facilities, they should account for the complexity of addiction and the needs of the individual. The objective of attending an inpatient rehab center for addiction treatment is to stop using the drug and re-learn how to live a productive life without it.

Following a full medical detox, most people benefit from inpatient rehab. Inpatient drug rehab can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Patients stay overnight in the rehab facility and participate in intensive treatment programs and therapy. Once someone completes rehab, their addiction treatment team will create an aftercare plan, which may include continuing therapy and participation in a 12-step program like Narcotics Anonymous.

Psychotherapy

Many rehab programs will also have early morning classes or programs. Group sessions occur during inpatient rehab, as do individual therapy sessions. Family therapy may be part of inpatient rehab when it’s feasible. Alternative forms of therapy may be introduced during inpatient rehab, like a holistic therapy program, yoga for addiction recovery, or an addiction treatment massage therapy.

Several different modalities of psychotherapy have been used in the treatment of mental health disorders along with addiction, including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – is an effective treatment that involves changing both the patterns of negative thoughts and the behavioral routines which are affecting the daily life of the depressed person for various forms of depression.
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy – is a comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment program whose ultimate goal is to aid patients in their efforts to build a life worth living. The main goal of DBT is to help a person develop what is referred to as a “clear mind.” 
• Solution-focused therapy is an approach interested in solutions that can be quickly implemented with a simple first step leading to further positive consequences.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Drug abuse and mental health disorders often co-occur. Traumatic experiences can often result in mental health disorders and substance abuse. Dual-diagnosis rehabilitation treats both of these issues together. The best approach for the treatment of dual diagnosis is an integrated system. This strategy treats both the substance abuse problem and the mental disorder simultaneously. Regardless of which diagnosis (mental health or substance abuse problem) came first, long-term recovery will depend mainly on the treatment for both diseases done by the same team or provider.

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Does Addiction Treatment Work?

Between 85% and 95% of people who successfully complete drug rehab report still abstaining from all narcotics nine months after being discharged. Approximately 80% of individuals who complete drug and alcohol rehab report an improvement in their health and quality of life.