Newport Academy

In our last post, we explored the basics of steroid abuse including what the drugs are, how they’re used, and their effects on teens who use them regularly. Here is some more information about anabolic steroids and teen abuse of the substances that parents may find valuable:

Serious Consequences of Abuse

In addition to the physical changes that occur due to chronic steroid abuse, addiction and even death can result from untreated steroid use. Steroids can cause extreme stress to major organs, including the heart, and can directly or indirectly cause a fatal heart attack or stroke. Cardiovascular disease, too, becomes a risk and a weakened immune system can mean that teens who abuse the drug open themselves up to a number of different ailments.

Those who inject the drug are at increased for other diseases as well, including hepatitis C and HIV, when they share needles with others. These issues are both life threatening, as well.

Steroid Addiction

Addiction is defined as the continued use of a substance despite the negative consequences of use. In addition to health problems caused by the ongoing abuse of steroids, the drug can also cause problems at home, with friends, at work or school, and create or exacerbate social or mental health issues among teens. Parents may see their teens struggle financially, lose positive relationships with peers, become more combative and rebellious at home, lose their jobs, get kicked off sports teams for abuse of steroids, and lose ground at school.

Teenagers who continue to abuse steroids despite all the problems that occur as a result may have an issue with addiction, and when that happens, it’s time for them to enroll in an addiction treatment program that will help them put down the drug for good.

Teen Treatment

Steroid addiction treatment must offer three important things if it is going to be effective for teenagers. These include:

• Psychological addiction treatment. Treating dependence means medical care that addresses the physical effects of steroid abuse as well as psychotherapeutic treatment to address the self-esteem and social issues that may have compelled your teen to the self-destructive behavior in the first place.
• Positive nutrition and sports training. Teen athletes who abuse steroids primarily for their athletic uses will benefit from learning how to build muscle and their athletic ability naturally.
• Teen-specific care. Rehabilitation that speaks specifically to the needs of teenagers (as opposed to adults) will best help your teen to learn coping skills for the issues he or she faces on a daily basis.

Contact us at Newport Academy today to learn more about your options for enrolling your teen in steroid abuse and addiction treatment. Call now.

Teens – boys, especially – often fall victim to the allure of steroid abuse during high school. Football players and wrestlers as well as other athletes hoping to reach their peak performance may abuse anabolic steroids in an attempt to build more muscle. Unfortunately, there are a number of negative effects, especially among teens whose bodies are rapidly growing and developing. Young people who abuse the drugs often find themselves the victims of serious consequences including developmental issues, emotional problems, health problems and addiction.

The Basics

Anabolic steroids are synthetic drugs that mimic the effects of the male hormone testosterone. Without a prescription, these drugs are illegal and, while there are some legitimate medical uses, they are never prescribed to teenagers with the goal of helping them to build muscle. Some of the most common taken by teens include andro, dianabol, and equipoise, but teens who abuse the drugs will be more likely to call them by their street names (e.g., “roids” or “juice”) or just use the generic term, steroids.

How Steroids Are Used

There are different ways to ingest steroids, depending upon the type of drug used and the preference of the user. Parents may find steroid pills among their teen’s possessions or they may find vials of liquid and hypodermic needles used to inject the drug, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). It’s not uncommon for those who are abuse the drug to take 10 to 100 times more than the medically appropriate dose.

Effects

In addition to building muscle, teens who abuse steroids experience a number of side effects as well. These include:

• Stunted growth
• Accelerated puberty changes
• Early skeletal maturation
• Jaundice
• High blood pressure
• Increased bad cholesterol
• Acne
• Changes in mood
• Violent behavior
• Depression
• Paranoia

Additionally, males can experience a shrinking of the testicles, early onset baldness, development of breasts and infertility while females may experience male-pattern baldness, amenorrhea, facial hair and a deeper voice.

Is Your Teen Abusing Steroids?

Few parents think of steroids when they worry about their teenagers abusing drugs. More often, alcohol, marijuana and heroin are the substances of concern. And when your teen is an avid athlete, you may feel like you have nothing to worry about when, in reality, it is these teens specifically who are most likely to try steroids.

If you are concerned that your teen is dependent upon steroids and unable to stop abusing the drugs alone, contact us at Newport Academy to learn how you can help your child avoid the negative consequences of continued drug abuse.