Is extremely important to know the fact that steroids are having various different effects on various different people and they can vary quite a lot depending on many different factors and among them, there are long term effects as well. Most of the long term effects of the steroids are manifesting themselves through the physical appearances or some pretty obvious and noticeable changes in the behavior of a person (affecting his or her mood etc.)
With all of this being said, is very hard to make some observation and see any immediate long term and the long lasting impacts and results of using anabolic steroids. Nonetheless, by comparing the physical and behavioral changes of before using steroids and after it and by paying attention over the long lasting effects then the results are going to be noticed.
Depending on how exactly you were using steroids, the long term effects of steroids may be positive, but they also may be negative – pretty much as the benefits and side effects of steroids “on the moment” of using steroids.
It is important to know that the steroids, usually, are causing quite a gradual change in the brain by having a long term of use of the steroids. That’s different compared to some other substances that are offering the “chemical’s brains changes” much faster and some of them even immediately.
Is important to know that the alteration of the brain chemicals is going to be affecting the production as well as the distribution of the vital neurotransmitters that are essential for living. Another important factor to mention here is that the brain changes may also result into mood as well as behavioral changes either. Generally, there quite a lot of different effects of steroids, but some of them are long lasting and here are some examples:
- Aggressiveness and Anger
As we all know, is a pretty normal and common phenomenon for men to show more aggression than women in almost any given action they are doing when comparing the 2. This is mainly due to naturally increased level of testosterone and androgen. By using anabolic steroids – these levels are going even higher and therefore, the aggressiveness is going to get even higher. This may result in incontrollable anger too. But there’s a very big difference between the 2 types of aggression.
One of them is the negative aggression when you cannot control it and that’s affecting the behavior of the person in a negative way. But there’s the other type of aggression.
In athletes, sportsmen and body builders, the aggression that is being induced by the steroids is manifesting itself in a different way than the negative behavior. Is manifesting in a highly increased drive and determination to win and to achieve new levels. This aggression allows them to push on further in the gym and get through new limits, to get through new challenges and to go through very high and new tasks.
Usually, in fact, that’s the first type of aggression which is quite beneficial in the gym and for giving you the drive required, but then it may grow in the second type of aggression. It is the aggression that is going out of the control. Usually, when the aggression is going out of the control as a result of using anabolic steroids that’s often being referred to as “roid rage” and you may find this being listed in the steroid’s side effects.
As a result of using too high doses of steroids on a regular basis then there may be cases when people are acting way too aggressive in a lot of different situations too. This “roid rage” is then leading to really big problems, that’s because such uncontrollable aggression is leading to huge social interaction issues and that’s because such people are showing really aggressive and angry behaviors.
The aggression may be one behavioral change that could be long lasting of using anabolic steroids. But usually, the aggression is a result of using anabolic steroids on a regular basis for a good amount of time.
- Paranoia
Another behavioral and mood change of anabolic steroid use is the fact that some users were developing paranoia. Usually, a prolonged steroid use is causing the users to develop some pretty unexplained changes in their behavior and paranoia is one of them. There is a low number of users who may have a mental situation which is causing a complete disconnect to the reality and offering bad side effects when it comes to mental health.
The abnormal high dosages for abnormal long term use of anabolic steroid is usually leading to such serious negative effects. The steroid users that are having paranoia are experiencing some pretty constant delusional thoughts as well as hallucinations of some persecution that are leading to constant suspicion of different people without any reasons and justification, to mistrust as well as fear and various other negative effects.
There are quite some cases when the steroid users are having unexplained jealousy or they may be expressing some very high “amounts” of self importance. With all of this being said, there are quite a good amounts of various different long term mental effects of using steroids.
- Organ Problems
Taking in consideration that steroids are making everything work harder in your body it means that some organs in your body are going to work faster/ harder too in order to keep up with all the demand. With this being said, some organs may be “worn out” faster by constantly working harder. That’s why, a continuous use of anabolic steroids, especially in high doses would cause a sustained hyperactivity of the heart and some other organs. The hyperactivity of your heart may lead to fatigue in heart muscles and ultimately some nasty issues.
The heart needs to pump blood much more and much harder in order to keep up with the high aggression and demand by supplying with more blood to important organs such as your brain and especially your muscles which continue to grow more.
A fatigue in the heart muscles might not be dangerous as long as is short term and not too frequently happening. However, a constant fatigue in the heart and heart muscles might lead to heart failure and as we all know, heart failure might lead to fatal outcome. This is the reason why using anabolic steroids properly is so important – first off not to take too high doses and secondly not to use them for too long periods of time.
By using way too much steroids you may also suffer from insomnia or some bad sleeping patterns. This is also in favor of heart health deterioration. Make sure to have enough and good quality sleep while using steroids (and even when you don’t use them) and then again, make sure to use steroids in a responsible manner.
Any damage to your heart or the process going to failure of the heart means that you’re going to get low blood supply to the brain and therefore, your brain may be damaged as well. This may be a part of the reason why prolonged use of anabolic steroids (especially in abnormal doses) sometimes is leading to various psychological effects that were earlier mentioned.
Low blood and nutrients supply to the brain may lead to some malfunction of some body parts either and this, therefore, may lead to stroke – another dangerous health condition. Although stroke is only associated with too high doses and too long time of using anabolic steroids – that’s still possible.
Other than that, by using anabolic steroids there are some other body parts which are essential for a healthy life that are working excessively and this may lead to problems. Like for example, is a very well known fact that anabolic steroid users are developing kidney and liver issues and according to some sources, these are the biggest problems with the use of anabolic steroids.
That’s because the kidney needs to filter more blood that is flowing throughout the body and with excessive doses or time of using steroids, the kidney has to work way too much, so much that it maybe collapsing. Your liver is another organ that has to suffer quite a lot from the use of anabolic steroids. Most of the steroids offer liver damage and very few of them are safe for the liver. Steroids affect liver in different ways – some steroids do little damage while others are known to be very dangerous for the liver.
Using highly hepatotoxic steroids in high doses for high periods of time may lead to a total shut down of your liver known as liver failure, tumors as well as cancer.
- Dependency
Pretty much like any other cases of substance abuse – there’s a chance to develop dependency on steroids. That’s a really bad thing taking in consideration that it makes you want to keep on using anabolic steroids. The steroids are having this ability of creating a dependency only when they are being used over a long period of time so this is another reason why using steroids in cycles for short periods is a good idea.
Steroids by far do not have the dependency liability as other substances such as cocaine or heroin, however, they still have some because the brain is recording the good feeling that is being associated with the use of anabolic steroids and it can be recording it so much that it could be creating the addiction which makes you keep on wanting to use more and more.
The result makes the person to use the steroids constantly in order to maintain their high performance levels and / or their physical appearance. Is also important to mention here that poor health is also creating dependence too on some other people for performing routine activities.
- Fatal Outcome
While the use of anabolic steroids are helpful for those who use them properly, there are cases when the use of anabolic steroids were associated with death. Steroids can be very helpful offering amazing results and they can even increase your health condition. However, an improper use of anabolic steroids would lead to bad results including death.
The sustained deterioration of your health as a result which is caused by the sustained and continuous use of anabolic steroids can ultimately lead to the worst long term effects of using steroids – fatal outcome. The deterioration of the health and organs are happening when the steroids are kept on being used improperly. By using steroids in too high doses and/ or for too long periods – this leads to gradual and continuous deterioration of internal organs and therefore deterioration of your health.
If this is continued, the body won’t be able to recover anymore because you may have multiple complications and multiple organs failure and in such situations – the patient can face death.