Anabolic Steroids Appear To Be Addictive

Anabolic steroids are one of the most controversial legal drugs because of its role in sports controversies. As a highly regulated drug, anabolic steroids can only be used when there is a prescription.

Possession of the drug without a valid prescription can lead to imprisonment of up to one year. But even with the strict control of anabolic steroids, this type of drug is known to be used by many body builders.

Anabolic steroids have the ability to boost testosterone level and speed up the process of muscle development. Through anabolic steroids, they will be able to build and maintain muscles in their body easier.

Even though anabolic steroids are a highly controlled drug, it’s never considered addictive. But a new study tends to dispel that belief. A report during the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology conference has revealed early experiments that showed addiction to this type of drug.

The experiment was conducted by the Keck School of Medicine from the University of Southern California. Although their experiments are at an early stage, their study can lead to further understanding of anabolic steroids help those who experienced adverse effects of the drug.

The study of the possible addiction of steroids was conducted on hamsters and the method used in this experiment is also the same methods used to prove the addiction on heroin. In this study, hamsters are placed in a cage with a variety of drips.

This setting was created so that the administration of the drug is not forceful. The drips contain various forms of steroids while other drips do not contain the controlled drug.

The hamsters eventually ignored the drips that did not contain steroids while they kept on coming back for the steroid-containing drips. The study even found out that hamsters started to proceed to only one drip that contains the strongest form of testosterone.

While this is just a small proof of the possible addiction, it presents some indication that a person can develop addictive behavior towards steroids. But this addiction is not actually based on changing the brain functions so that it will continue to seek steroids, the addiction for steroids is possibly due to the results from steroids.

The researchers have indicated that the hamsters keep on going back to the drip with the strongest steroid because they felt better physically after taking a few drips.
This study might be in its early stages but it should serve as a stern warning for coaches as well as to those who wanted to improve their muscle structure.

Anabolic steroids may not necessarily contain addictive substance but it can make become an addict simply because you like the way you were and your performance in sports is better when under anabolic steroids.

The addiction to anabolic steroids can lead to serious mental conditions. Even those that use steroids at a regular level have experienced erratic behaviors because of hormone imbalance. Addiction to steroids could lead to serious mental condition that might not be easily treated or even irreversible.