Abuse of anabolic steroids: effects of taking and damaging steroids, treatment dependence methods

dependence What drugs are related to anabolic steroids

All medicines included in this group contain male sex hormones - androgens.

The most commonly used anabolics:

• Methandrostenolone( syn - Nerobol, Vanabol);
• Fenobolin( syn. - Nerrobolil, Unabol);
• Retabolil( blue - Abolon, Eubolin);
• Silabolin.

What kind of anabolic action does the human body have?

Steroids are capable of retaining nitrogen, calcium, potassium, sulfur and phosphorus.Due to this, they act on protein metabolism, causing increased growth of muscle tissue and development of strength with regular loads.In this case, anabolics reduce body fat stores.

Note: without physical activity, this effect is observed only to a negligible extent.

The medication has :

• as a restorative;
• improves overall health and well-being;
• toning effect;
• increase in reduced appetite;
• regenerative action( wound-healing);
• decreased excitability of the cerebral cortex( moderate euphoric effect and sedative effect).

When anabolic steroids are prescribed

In the practice of clinical medicine, the effects of these drugs have found application in trophic ulcerative processes, chronic inflammatory-degenerative pathologies in the intestine, liver, pancreas.Including, their reception had an anesthetic effect.Some anabolics are able to regulate the metabolism of enzymes( trypsin, amylase).

Side effects and complications

In children and adolescents, the abuse of anabolic steroids causes a slowdown in the growth process, up to complete cessation.On the skin often develops acne, hair on the head becomes rare, there are foci of alopecia( alopecia).

Men who use these medicines for a long time may lose the ability to conceive children, due to a violation of the structure and functional activity of spermatozoa. The oppressive effect on testicular tissue leads to a decrease in their size.Often develops gynecomastia - irreversible growth of breast gland by female type.

In women, on the contrary, there is a process of masculinization( formation of structural male forms). The voice coarsens, the growth of hair on the face and body begins, the size of the clitoris increases.

Abuse of anabolic steroids leads to problems with the liver( toxic hepatitis, cirrhosis). This process is manifested by the development of liver failure.The defeat of the pancreas causes pancreatitis and diabetes mellitus.The skin becomes rude, there is an increased secretion of secretion of sweat and sebaceous glands.

Note: depression of the immune system functions promotes the development of respiratory tract infections.Micro-cuts, injuries and wounds do not heal for a long time, they are exposed to the formation of erosions and ulcers.

The heart, due to disproportionally increased growth, increases in size, causing muscle power disorders and the development of necrotic foci with the rapid formation of ischemic disease, attacks of angina pectoris and infarcts.Against this background, multiple cases of sudden cardiac arrest with a fatal outcome are described.

Often, patients who use anabolics are injured by the ligamentous tendon apparatus due to a disproportionate load on them created by powerful muscles.

Drugs are taken orally, injected into muscle tissue, or into a vein.

Note: Anabolic steroids are used in the form of cycles with interruptions between them.

In case of absorption of the substance in the stomach and intestines, the destructive effect on the liver cells is more pronounced.At the same time, steroids are rapidly excreted, which is important for possible doping control.Intravenous administration is less toxic to the liver. But often an unprofessionally made shot and a violation of sterility rules causes the patient to have venous inflammation( phlebitis), thrombotic complications, infection with infections, including HIV.

Dependence on the abuse of anabolic steroids

Steroids do not have a direct psychoactive effect.No direct damage to the CNS and brain cells was noted.

Please note: all people taking these medications, especially not with medicinal purposes, receive a kind of dependence on them.Especially young people, athletes who use steroids to achieve sports results and to form the structure of their body.

It should be noted that the main groups of anabolic consumers are no longer professional sportsmen.Since the 70s of the last century, drugs that have anabolic activity have been classified as doping, which significantly reduced their use in athletes in international competitions. But in the amateur sphere, as well as among bodybuilders, steroids occupy an important place.

The cult of the body, dominating the healthy way of life, leads to uncontrolled reception of drugs with only one goal - narcissism, self-aggrandizement, no narcissism variant.The person's psyche is reconstructed, the moral criteria are distorted.Health goes into the background.This phenomenon is especially harmful at a young age, when young people with inferiority complexes begin to engage in bodybuilding.They often have a need to get ahead of their age and development.The inflated bar of the set goal becomes unattainable for one's own capabilities and has negative health consequences.

The pronounced dependence on steroids develops.In the mechanism of its development, in addition to personal motives, the psychological mutual induction of plays an important role.

In the social behavior of dependent people, aggressive forms of communication, stubbornness, conflictness, tendencies to disputable resolution of situations begin to prevail.For any reason, an outburst of irritation may occur.When these individuals communicate together, violent actions often occur, accompanied by a risk.

Syndrome of cancellation

Refusal of steroids means in this case a loss of personal orientation, goals.The termination of taking the drug is regarded as a backward movement, physical and mental degradation.

Not surprisingly, if for some reason a dependent person has to leave anabolic therapy, then he has characteristic complaints.The manifestations described below are regarded as the first phase of the , cancellation syndrome and lasts about one week.

The following develops in patients:

• emotional changes, apathy and subdepressive states;
• psychoses, which are described in the literature as "steroid";
• joint pain;
• nasal congestion and mucosal edema;
• temperature increase, which has no reason;
• suicidal tendencies against the background of oppression of the psyche.

The second phase of the cancellation syndrome may take several months, most often six months.

It is characterized by:

• sleep disorders;
• asthenia, fatigue, thoughts of own inferiority;
• loss of appetite, with visible weight loss;
• thought and desire to return to taking anabolic steroids.

The withdrawal syndrome can develop in athletes and in the period between cyclic reception of .To prevent it, patients are forced to use small doses in the interval between cycles.The second motive of intercycling is the prevention of anabolic effect decrease.Naturally, such an attitude further exacerbates dependence and intensifies complications.

Treatment of dependence

The available dependence requires the help of a psychiatric profile.The most effective it can provide experts narcologists . In most cases, treatment in the is not required.In addition to situations with suicidal episodes, thoughts, psychoses.In this case, the patients for the first time of therapy need special control.

Termination of anabolic steroids can be either one-step, or gradual.The option of rejection is considered individually, taking into account all the features of a particular patient, his age, habits, character, temperament, anabolic experience.

With emotional instability, the choleric type of behavior requires sedatives.The duration, dose and frequency of tranquilizers are determined.In the case of severe depressive conditions, an antidepressant is selected.

Note: the basis of the therapeutic effect is psychotherapy.

Repeated explanatory-motivational conversations are held with patients, in which emphasis is placed on methods of persuasion.When the initial stage of misunderstanding between the doctor patient is overcome and the patient realizes his problem fully, then it will be possible to proceed to the practice of suggestion.This goal is best met by a hypnotic effect.

Role play is of great importance, rational forms of persuasion.Especially in groups in which participants are present who are at different stages of treatment, from beginners to those already free from addiction.The former receive a powerful replenishment of the result they see, while the latter consolidate their success with the desire to help people with a similar problem.

It is very important to find the possibility of keeping patients physical activity and maintaining the form.

Aggressive types of thinking require the involvement of a psychologist who, with the help of aesthetic effects, can help a person find his true self, "crushed" by the abuse of anabolic steroids.

With the preventive purpose in the future patients should be periodically consulted by a psychologist and non-pharmacological types of maintenance therapy - laser puncture, acupuncture.The prognosis after qualified treatment is favorable.

Alexander Lotin, medical reviewer