Steroids, also known as anabolic steroids, have increasingly become a drug of abuse among adolescent males. Anabolic buy steroids online are synthetic versions of hormones like testosterone, naturally produced by the body. Because of influences such as peer pressure and the distorted ideal body image which the media perpetuates, adolescent males, especially athletes are susceptible to the temptation of using anabolic steroids for their muscle and strength building effects.
Unfortunately, the pressure many professional athletes feel to perform at high levels, gain strength, and build muscle is also felt by many teenagers. This has led to an increase in steroid use in high-schoolers since the late 1990s. The majority of users are males, but in some cases serious female athletes have also been known to use performance-enhancing drugs. In fact, the Monitoring the Future survey of 8th, 10th and 12th graders in 2000 indicated that steroid use may be as high as 2.8 percent.
Although steroids are taken to enhance the body’s natural tendency to build muscle, the desired effects cannot be separated from the rest of the effects that steroids have on the body. Subsequently, when they are used by athletes to enhance their performance, they come with a long list of serious side effects including;
It is important for parents of adolescents to be aware of the outward signs of steroid abuse. Behavioral changes associated with the use of anabolic steroids include mood swings, depression, aggression and anxiety. The steroid abuser may also experience irritability, nervousness and fatigue. School grades may demonstrate a sudden decline, usually a “red flag” for a developing problem in an adolescent’s life.