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Since the Major League Baseball All-Star Game was this week, it seems fitting that to do a post about teen steroid abuse. I dont want to get in to the debate about whether baseball players really use steroids, because thats not the point. Im more concerned with the teen athletes who use steroids in order to boost their chances of making the team, to get the girl or guy, or to get that six-pack.

In high school, there is a lot of pressure to be the star athlete or to have the perfect body. Sometimes, this pressure just gets to be too much, and steroids are a really easy way to boost athletic performance or to get the body that you want. The great thing about steroids for a lot of teens is that they dont even consider them to be drugs. I mean, you can get them from a doctor and pro athletes use them, so what can be so bad?

While its true that steroids can be prescribed by a doctor, most of the cases of steroid use that you hear about in the new and that are really harmful are unprescribed. Like the abuse of other substances, the abuse of steroids can lead to serious health problems. However, even some patients who use steroids with a prescription can have side effects.

Some of the consequences of teen steroid use include:

"heart attack and stroke
"liver and kidney damage, leading to internal bleeding
"acne, baldness, and oily hair (this might work against any hotness that you feel like youre gaining with your steroid created hot body)
"for girls, steroids can result in facial hair, shrinking of breasts, and deepened voice
"for guys, steroids can result in shrinking of the testicles, development of breasts, and infertility
"steroids can also make you irritable and irrational (roid rage), which can result in suicidal feelings
"steroids are addictive

I think this last point is something that not everyone is aware of. Steroids are addictive, and if you stop using steroids you can experience withdrawal symptoms.

Steroids are a lot more dangerous than people think. Theyre not just harmless way to bulk up. They can do serious damage physically and mentally, especially in teens who are still growing and whose brains are still developing. You may achieve the perfect body, but there is a chance that you could do damage to your body and could alienate yourself from the people that you love.

If you or someone you know has a problem with steroids or any other drug, it is important to get help.

Labels: prescription-drug-abuse, teen-addiction, teen-substance-abuse, teen-drug-abuse, teen-drug-help, teen-depression, teen-drug-rehab, teen-rehab

Posted By: beth