Category: Articles

Anabolic steroid use has exploded over the last decade. They are considered “performance enhancing drugs” and as such, most people don’t see the dangers they pose. They just choose to concentrate on the fact that they “enhance performance”. It does, there is no denying it, but at what cost?

The use of anabolic steroids as performance enhancement drugs became very popular among athletes who felt like they needed a “leg up” on their rivals. These clinically engineered chemicals are often prescribed to people with hormone imbalance and other legitimate health complications, however, illegal and unfounded use of these dangerous substances can be very dangerous because they are taken in much greater amounts than would be prescribed and deemed safe by a medical professional.

What are steroids

Our bodies produce various types of hormones, they control our bodily functions and growth. Anabolic steroids are synthetic versions of natural hormones like genadotropin, the human growth hormone, most often abused by bodybuilders and anyone looking to gain more muscle mass without the effort needed to achieve it naturally. There are also substitutes to such hormones as androstenedione, erythropoietin and of course, testosterone. Hormones regulate how our bodies operate, thus, by taking drugs that contain specific hormones, we can enhance that specific trait. Steroids can allow an athlete grow muscle mass, increase stamina and be able to train longer and harder than usual.

The dangers

Use of anabolic steroids destroys the natural balance of hormones in the body. It can hinder or halt natural production of them which leads to many long-lasting and irreversible problems. They affect more than just the users physique. Steroids can induce irritability, aggression and drastic mood swings. Some types of steroids can cause a rapid rise in cholesterol placing the user in danger of stroke or heart failure.

Side effects

Usage of anabolic steroids can be extremely disruptive in the human body. The equilibrium of hormonal balance is very easy to disrupt and usually with dire consequences. Use of such drugs affects men and women differently because our natural hormone composition is very different. It is, in fact, the very thing that determines our gender. Prolonged use of steroids for me can cause such issues as rapid growth of mammary glands, or in layman’s terms – breast enlargement. No less scary are other side effects, like testicle atrophy, impotence and general inability to have children. For women, the effects can be different but just as dangerous and long lasting. Rapid body hair growth, deeper voice irregular menstrual cycle and of course infertility. The same type of hormones affect men and women differently, but there are some side-effects that are shared between both genders. Skin gets very oily and severe acne has been observed. Liver damage, high blood pressure, depression and aggressive behavior are but few of the symptoms.

Most of these symptoms can reduce in severity or disappear altogether, however, there are those that never do. Infertility, breast growth in men, hair loss and impotence are few that usually are untreatable.

The battle

How to fight the use of these drugs? By education and full disclosure. Most people will never sign up for anabolic steroid use if they know the repercussions. Physically impressive men and women worldwide regret the use of these drugs once they have lost the ability to have children or been forced to use a dialysis machine on a daily basis due to their kidneys failing.

Teaching children at a young age about the dangers and caveats of these drugs is imperative in ensuring their healthy and prosperous future.

Cocaine – the drug of choice for great many addicts. Why is it so popular? There is a long list of reasons that contribute to its unfaltering popularity. Here are a few of the most prominent reasons why cocaine consumption is still popular and is showing no signs of slowing down the trend.

Media Idolization

A series of research shows a direct correlation between cocaine depiction in mainstream media and its popularity on the streets. Whenever there is a drug that has to be depicted in the movie, two usual suspects show up – marijuana and cocaine. Depending on the tone of the movie at hand, marijuana is the choice of drug when a lighter, less demonized drug is to be shown. Cocaine is reserved for the scenes where hard drugs need to be shown. The amount of people who still have a Tony Montana poster from Scarface is staggering. The music, movies, and even TV shows glamorize cocaine and easily impressionable audience eats it right up.

Common Misconceptions

Large fanbase of cocaine uses it because they believe it is harmless. They think that however frequent they use the drug it will be fine and not very addictive. Unfortunately, the real situation is the absolute polar opposite.

Cocaine use has been confirmed to be the cause for increased risk of heart attack and stroke. An estimated half million patients that used cocaine get rushed in emergencies across the United States of America every single year. Further correlations have been drawn between cocaine use and criminal activities, other than those of actual consumption of the illegal drug. It is a very more-ish drug and can drive an addict to alienate his friends and family, underperform at work and fail in social situations.

Peer Pressure

The inner need to fit in and belong is strong in everyone, especially young and impressionable people. This need can drive a person to do things he never thought possible, all for the sake of belonging and acceptance of their peers. Over the years more and more students turn to cocaine as their choice of drug due to its ever-rising accessibility and stimulating properties. Many addicts have admitted to having used cocaine as a study aid at first, but it gets out of control very fast.

The Feeling

The truth of the matter is, that everyone who ever used, will use or is still using, did so because of how cocaine made them feel. The waves of euphoria rush over the user and can create truly spectacular emotions – love, carelessness, energy and many more mixed emotions, often all at once. However, these emotions are chemically induced and therefore unsustainable by your natural brain chemistry. The effects of cocaine use are rather short-term. When the feeling has worn off, usually within half-an-hour to an hour, the dread and depression sets in. Deep, hard to explain feelings fill in the void where the emotions of joy and passion used to be just a moment ago. What’s worse, this transition is almost instant. Cocaine users can be often seen as the heart of the party until they suddenly snap, and either disappear altogether or until they have had their re-up. The longer the addict uses cocaine the stronger their tolerance towards it. More and more has to be used more often just to reach that same peak the person had when he first tried it. The need to get more can be so overwhelming that the person can become willing to do illegal, violent and very often immoral things.

Road To Rehab

Being addicted to such a drug can be very difficult on ones life, even harder to kick this addiction. The thing that former addicts have admitted was the hardest for them, was their environment. It allowed them access and continuous use of this drug, therefore trying to clean up without a change in scenery is like trying to blow up a lifebuoy while drowning.

The tested and true method towards recovery is inpatient program in a trusted rehabilitation center. It offers a change in the environment that is safe and trigger free. There is no access to cocaine in a rehab, this allows the patient to go through the rigorous, tiring and often painful motions of detoxifying and becoming clean again. Things that drove the addict to use are not there, neither are the everyday reminders of it. Inpatient rehab program offers the best chances at full recovery and most importantly, gives the addict the tools that allow them to stay that way and avoid relapse once the program is over.

 

There are countless people who can claim that alcohol causes them significant problems. Statistically, more than 25% of young adults resort to binge-drinking and as such almost everyone has someone they know, that has the potential to be an alcohol abuser.

That said, most people don’t realise that there is a stark difference between alcohol abuse and addiction. It’s hard to identify the type of alcohol problem someone has because most people who suffer from it, don’t usually admit having a problem. Since most of us know someone who has an issue with moderate consumption of alcohol, it’s imperative, that we understand the fundamental differences between alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse, for they are not one and the same, contrary to what most people believe.

Abuse

Alcohol abuse can be told apart from addiction by examining their previous offences in this area. Is your friend or loved one spending every weekend in a drunken stupor? Do their binges usually, begin around payday? Perhaps there is something more obscure to be seen? Alcohol abuse is a pattern behaviour, meaning that it usually repeats itself when certain aspects align that allow, induce or justify alcohol consumption. It is not a dependency of alcohol that urges them to drink. If decided or forced to stop their binge-drinking cycle it would not send the patient into fits of withdrawal. Not yet anyway. That said, uncontrolled and excessive drinking can lead to a plethora of other problems.

• A drastic change of behaviour and personality when under the influence of alcohol.
• Inconsistent dedication to their professional or social obligations.
• Drastic mood swings, easy to anger.
• Alcohol becomes the focal point of social interaction and relaxation.

The main difference between a person addicted to alcohol and a person who just abuses it is that the abusers usually understand their issue and acknowledge the problem. This leads to themselves and others around them to believe that their problem is surely not that dire since it is a common misconception that a person with true alcohol problems will always deny ever having a problem in the first place. This enables the alcohol abuser to keep indulging their vice under the guise of being fully aware of their issue when in reality it is deliberately or subconsciously used as a “cop-out” or an easy way to ignore the root of the problem. These behavioural cycles can often become a rhythm that lulls the alcohol abuser into a full blown addiction.

Addiction

This is alcoholism in its true form – an addiction. This means that the withdrawal of their vice of choice might and most likely will damage their core bodily functions and make almost impossible to lead a normal life without it. The body has developed a hard dependency on alcohol to function and exhibit the following symptoms:

• Uncontrollable sweating
• Seizures and cramps
• Hallucinations
• Insomnia
• Anxiety and panic attacks

If two or more of these symptoms are observed its important to get the patient professional attention as soon as possible. These symptoms can evolve into life-threatening situations such as respiratory shock, stroke or heart failure if not treated and brought under control.

Telling the two apart

Abusive alcohol behaviour is very widespread and more common than most people give it credit for. It is the third largest preventable cause of death in the United States alone and biggest offender worldwide. On the other hand, alcoholism is not as widespread but by no means any less serious issue.

Alcohol abusers are much easier to identify in most situations. They are the soul of every social gathering, and usually set the pace of the festivities until they either black out from drinking or get asked by others to calm down, usually with little success. They are in most cases able to limit themselves to drinking in socially acceptable places and times. The main issue stems not from drinking all the time, but drinking too much when there is a reason or excuse to drink. They may drink themselves to a stupor in a three-day bender but will clean up nicely a day after and usually stay away from the drink for longer periods of time until ultimately returning to it and repeating this cycle all over again.

Alcohol addicts are much harder to identify. Their prolonged exposure and abuse of alcohol have made their bodies more tolerant than most drinkers and as such don’t usually appear drunk to others. Another rather counter-intuitive sign of an alcohol addict is exceptionally harsh-hangovers, thus making people around him think that he is simply inexperienced drinker when, in fact, it’s the other way around. They don’t over-drink often, however, they are drinking almost constantly, during working hours and when at home, most of the time alone. They have very poor self-control when it comes to staying sober in various social situations where drinking is frowned upon. There are many cases where alcohol addicts will go, for example, a job interview tipsy or even flat out drunk.

Similarities between abuse and addiction

The biggest and unfortunately the most complex similarities between alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse is the fact, that professional help is required to get these vices under control and steer back to the path of recovery. Both of these sides of the same coin can have a deep-rooted and extensive impact on their lives. Both of these problems have need of professional guidance to open their eyes and show them the magnitude of the problem they are facing.

As serious medical conditions, both addiction and abuse should be treated with utmost care and seriousness. Inpatient rehabilitation treatment is the perfect course of action when tackling these issues as they provide a safe and caring environment where under the careful guidance of psychologists and doctors, both addict and abuser can understand their own reasons for falling in this pit and show them the path to recovery.

Almost every substance we use can be destructive and damaging in nature. Most can be prevented with careful dosing, while others will slowly eat you from inside, destroying your body and scattering your sanity to the wind. Here are five “drugs” that will damage your mind and destroy your body.

Heroin

This drug is not terribly destructive on its own. Not at first, at least. It damages your body very slowly and in subtle ways, until you try to quit. That’s when it kicks in and physical addiction takes over. Heroin is very hard to quit, because over prolonged period of time it melds with your body and its functions making withdrawal symptoms very pronounced and even deadly. That’s right, a heroin user who has been under the drug for years is physically unable to simply go “cold turkey”. This makes it the one of the most popular addictions that are being treated in drug rehabilitation centres around the world, mostly due to the fact that an in-patient programme is necessary, complete with detoxification and often even hospitalization. Its covert approach at making you dependable makes heroin very hard to simply quit overnight. It’s a long and arduous process. One that must be begun as soon as possible. Heroin slowly but surely destroys heart valves and their lining. Prolonged needle use can infect and even collapse veins. The real danger from heroin, however comes in overdosing. University of Utah reports in their studies, that heroin is responsible for more deaths by overdose than any other drug.

Alcohol

Most of you will probably be surprised that alcohol is featured in an article about most dangerous drugs, yet it deserves its place here for a very good reason. Thousands upon thousands of people die from alcoholism every single day. According to World Health Organization more than 3.3 million deaths are attributed to alcohol consumption. Due to its relative legality to most drugs on this list, alcohol is more dangerous than all of them combined. Its ease of access and simplicity is the cornerstone of its popularity – after all, alcohol was invented more than 10,000 years ago. Alcohol destroys relationships, that’s what it’s known for the most, however full-blown alcoholism can mean a severely scarred liver, brain damage and mental disorders. Alcohol is the number one preventable death cause in the world.

Crack Cocaine

Most people will call crack cocaine, or simply crack, one of the most addictive drugs in the world. It kicks like a mule, but it doesn’t last long and therefore the need to hit another bump is very high. It’s a very “moreish” drug, making people addicted to it jump through hoops that they would never thought possible. Crack is very often attributed as the choice of drug for the homeless and desperate. Few understand that it is the very drug they use, that drove them to such state. The need to always get more is what drives people away from their families, moves them to steal and sell their bodies for pleasure just to get a quick profit that could satiate their thirst for more crack. It is extremely destructive on human body. It destroys your heart, kidneys and liver. Prolonged use can damage arteries and blood vessels in the brain, yet again raising blood pressure. No wonder that most crack addicts die of heart failure or stroke. It also has sever and adverse effects on human mind. It induces hallucinations, paranoia and depression that can lead to a full blown psychosis.

Methamphetamine

This drug is most often called by its street name – crystal meth. It’s derived from the form that this drug takes once ready for consumption. It comes in crystals that once crushed can be consumed by smoking it in a pipe. All of the substances in this article are dangerous for one reason or another, be it accessibility, difficulty to quit or simply by the physical damage they do to your internal organs. Meth is special, however, as it destroys in one the most basic ways – changing the brain chemistry of the user. It changes the way user’s body experiences pleasure and impairs few very important cognitive functions. National Institute of Drug Abuse reports that there is a large amount of addicts who had gone through their treatment and even after restoring their dopamine receptors to normal, still suffered from severely impaired cognitive functions like motor functions, coordination and even memory. Crystal meth is also extremely devastating to human body as well, it destroys red blood cells, muscle tissue and practically shuts down the natural healing and restoration processes. Meth addicts often exhibit rapid aging signs – induced by weeks of sleepless periods at a time, caused by the need to use or find more.

Prescription Drugs

Why are these here, right? They are prescribed, why they would be dangerous and destructive. A doctor would not give me something that would be bad for me, surely. It’s a coin with two ends since as I mentioned in the beginning of this article – most substances out there could kill or damage you if misused. Alarming amount of people are addicted to prescription drugs. How do they get hooked? It’s quite simple, sadly. All it takes is ignoring the doctor’s directions and taking the prescribed medicine more often or in bigger quantities than advised. Others acquire prescription drugs because they are much easier to get than illegal drugs. Prescription drugs are extremely addictive and lead to dangers due to higher amounts being taken exponentially as the user develops a tolerance for it. In USA alone more than 120,000 people a year are rushed into the hospital due to overdose of prescription medicine.

While everything out there in large enough quantities could kill us, these are the worst offenders in this case. Be it heroin, alcohol, meth, crack or even prescription medicine, there are options and treatments for all cases. All it takes is the willpower to do something about it. Reach out and seek help for your addictions.

A very wide range of vices plague people in every corner of the planet. Just a few of those fall in the drugs and alcohol category. Many people can enjoy these things in moderation, either self-imposed or with the blessing of drug control authorities, prescription drugs for example. However, there are people who cannot control their vices and become addicted to various substances, both legal and illegal. The worst part about all this, is that addiction can kill and majority of time will destroy the life of the addict, as well as lives of those he holds dear.

To hear that a family member or a close friend has passed away due to an overdose is terrible. People around the addict who died begin to question themselves and many slip into a downward slope of depression. Many will try to help the addict, like his family and his friends. Unfortunately the efforts to sway the addict from his course of self-destruction can come too late and falls on deaf ears. There are those, who will not notice that their loved one is slipping into addiction or will pick up on it and try to intervene only to fail. If more people would know how to spot the tell-tale signs and symptoms of substance abuse and addiction, they might be able to get the addict the help he needs.

According to CDC, or Center for Disease Control, men are more prone to losing their lives to alcohol or drug addiction. Most people are under the impression that this is predominantly a young adult and teen issue, yet that is not the case – age group that is most likely to overdose is between 45 and 55 years of age. It is important for all of us to see the signs a mile off, be able to pick up on subtle hints and subconscious cries for help of people we love.

Denial

To begin a path to recovery one must first come to terms with their flaws and shortcomings. To fix a flat tire, you must first admit that the tire is flat and that it must be fixed. That seems straight forward enough until it comes at a price of swallowing pride and accepting help. Humans are proud beings and as such rarely admit to their faults as that removes them from their comfort zone and shows the world how vulnerable they are. Whatever the cause – shame or guilt, denial is one of the most common barriers an addict will build around him and one of the hardest things for the loved ones of the addict to overcome. Most addicts don’t believe they have a problem to begin with. In their mind, they are controlling it, everything is just fine. They are going through the motions of their daily activities like work and meeting with friends or family, but at the back of their head they are planning that next hit or a drink. Or worse, desperately trying to find where to get their next fix. They might slowly change the group of people they associate with, people with similar interests and cravings, just to ensure they can have a bump whenever they want, without the scrutiny of loved ones and friends who are clean.

All this happens slowly, gradually and without much of a fanfare. By the time most addicts have nothing more to hide behind and are forced to admit to themselves they are addicted, it’s already too late to simply cut out and turn back. Thankfully, human beings are social creatures. We interact with people in our community, friends and family on a daily basis. These people are the lifeline of a developing addict, even if he himself is blind to see it. There are signs we – people that care, can pick up on and act before it’s too late.

Some of the signs a person is under the influence or addiction of drugs can be quite clear and obvious, once paid attention to:

• Red and bloodshot eyes with large pupils
• Impaired motor functions
• Sudden fluctuation in weight
• Impaired speech
• Shakes and tremors
• Sudden lack of personal hygiene

There are also more subtle signs of behaviour of a possible drug addict, that loved ones should be paying attention to if they become prominent:

• Constant daydreaming and inability to stay focused
• Financial issues and possible clash with the authorities
• Mood swings and outbursts of aggression and anger
• Complete loss of motivation to do even the simplest of things
• Depression
• Stress and anxiety

For better or for worse, alcohol addict can be identified much easier. Mostly due to the fact that alcohol is legal and can be openly enjoyed in most societies. Alcohol lacks the stigma of being an illegal substance, as such alcohol is much easier to acquire and use therefore alcohol addicts are harder to convince they have a problem. It’s harder to feel yourself slipping into the abyss of alcohol addiction because you are just having a drink right? It’s not like you are going out and pumping your veins with heroin or snorting endless rails of cocaine, right? It’s just a drink. And then another. And then another one.

Identifying the addict in this situation is not hard. Convincing them is, but for those who have very little to do with alcohol, here are a few signs your loved one may be in need of an intervention:

• Sudden changes in personality
• Mood swings
• Impaired coordination and motor functions
• Lack of self-esteem
• Lack of inhibitions
• Drinking without company
• Depression
• Shakes and withdrawal symptoms

When planning an intervention, it’s important that the message is delivered through people that are close and dear to the addict. There will be times when these people have been already pushed away by the addict, over many years of substance abuse but it takes the strength of just a few of them to save the addict. Family members, friends and even colleagues can participate, anyone who is close to the addict and are concerned with the well-being of the addict, is not shy about sharing their views and how the addict and his affliction is impacting them. The confrontation is going to be awkward, so love and understanding must be most prominent emotion here. Preferably in a safe and familiar environment to the addict. Hate, anger and blame games will only push him away and you will never get through to him again. A calm and relaxed yet serious and caring tone should be employed, while still allowing loved ones to ask questions and share their feelings.

Professional Advice

An ill prepared intervention can do more harm than good. The addict will feel shamed and bullied, will put up barriers and layers of emotions, driven by anger and depressing feeling that the entire world is against him. Most likely will succumb to the addiction with gusto and lose the will to fight it. People who care about the addict should first contact a specialized rehabilitation centre and discuss the organization of an intervention. Every case is different so there is no scenario that will benefit all cases. A therapist can help you understand what to do and what not to do in an intervention, it would augment the chances of the intervention being successful and allow the addict to make first steps towards recovery. They can offer information, knowledge, expertise and most importantly – facilities and treatment plans for when the addict has come to start realization about their problem.

Emotional support and communication – that is what an intervention is all about. The first steps to recovery are the hardest and the path will test both the addict and his loved ones. It will be painful both mentally and physically, but with enough preparation and open communication all parties involved can be ready for it.