How Steroids Affect Mental Health

How Steroids Affect Mental Health

---

Steroids are a type of hormone that can be taken as a pill or injected into the body. They’re also known as anabolic steroids, anabolics, and roids. These substances have been used for decades to help athletes build muscle mass and improve performance—and unfortunately, they’re also being abused by recreational users who want to get stronger or grow muscle mass.

Steroid abuse has been linked with several health risks, including cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. Still, there is also evidence that steroid use affects mental health in some users. So as we continue to learn more about how this drug affects our bodies over time, it's crucial to understand how it may affect your mind too.

Steroids Are a Schedule III Substance

Steroids are a schedule III substance. This means that steroids are illegal to buy, sell or possess without a prescription. The penalty for possession can be up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine with a first-time conviction. In addition to the criminal penalties, anabolic steroids have been shown to have many adverse side effects on both physical and mental health that can last long a while after the user stops taking them.

Steroids and Mental Health

Anabolic steroids, in addition to their many physical side effects, can lead to mental health issues. Sometimes, these problems can be severe and require treatment with medication or hospitalization.

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Psychosis (a loss of contact with reality)
• Delusions (false beliefs that someone holds despite evidence to the contrary)
• Paranoia (exaggerated feelings of fear and mistrust) are common among steroid users who abuse anabolic steroids for long periods.

Steroids and Addiction Treatment

People who take steroids typically experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking them. This can be a result of the way that anabolic steroids affect the brain, particularly dopamine levels. Dopamine is a chemical in your brain that helps regulate moods, emotions, and behaviors—including addiction cravings.

A review by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that steroid users often have reduced levels of dopamine receptors following prolonged use. This means they are more likely to experience cravings for drugs or alcohol because they do not produce a natural "high" as effectively as someone who doesn't use steroids will and thus develop a tolerance over time—which can lead to addiction problems if left untreated by an experienced professional with specialized training in this field.

Holistic Addiction Treatment Is the Key to Lasting Recovery

In holistic addiction treatment, you will address your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. You'll be treated as a whole person rather than putting a bandaid over the symptoms. This is what sets Passages apart from the traditional 12-step programs most rehab centers and support groups offer.

In these programs (as well as AA), recovery is defined as abstinence from substances and behaviors that have caused problems in the past. It's a simple concept—you can't use drugs or alcohol without experiencing negative consequences—but it doesn't consider all the factors involved in addiction and recovery.

Holistic treatment considers all aspects of the individual and can help you quickly recover from substance abuse issues in an effective manner.

Free Non-12-Step Treatment Assessment

A free addiction treatment assessment is the first step toward a healthier, more fulfilling life. Our admissions coordinators can customize a holistic treatment program for you or your loved one that is catered to your individual needs.

As an alternative to 12-step models of recovery (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous), numerous people have found success using non-12-step approaches such as Passages Addiction Treatment Centers. Our professionally trained addiction specialists work closely with you to discover and heal the underlying conditions that have caused you to use and abuse drugs (including steroids) and alcohol.

Addiction treatment must address addiction's physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual components.

Addiction affects the mind, body, and spirit. Therefore, it is essential to treat all three components of addiction at once. It also involves family members through family therapy sessions. This is extremely helpful when breaking free from an addiction of any type.

The connection between steroid use and mental health is complex. While it’s clear that steroids can affect the brain negatively and cause addiction, there is also evidence that steroids contribute to a magnitude of mental health issues that can worsen if left untreated by a professional. To get a better understanding of this topic, we recommend consulting with one of our admissions coordinators and receiving a free assessment today.