The future of my steroid usage is hanging in the winds. If I ever needed some help from the community, now is the time.
Here is the scoop. I have a history of substance abuse, recently relapsed, and am now working with a psychiatrist and recovery center on my own accord. My wife is included as part of the process. Unfortunately, she told my shrink about my steroid use.
As some of you may be aware, once you are diagnosed with substance dependence as a disease, you have to abstain 100% from all mind-altering substances, even if you have no problems with those drugs. The risk is called cross-addiction, either substituing another drug for your drug of choice or possibly triggering relapse with your drug of choice. My shrink is throwing steroids into the bag of mind-altering substances.
I would like to refute the position of my shrink that steroids be lumped into the same bucket of substances. That using steroids does not constitute a breach of recovery. If you read the research, although inconclusive and frought with lot of issues, there is no doubt that steroids are abused and have health risks, etc.
That said, I believe the questions in this context is two-fold. First, are AAS compounds mind-altering substances? Second, does the use of steroids lead to the use of the classic mind-altering chemicals (alchohol, cocaine, marijuana, pain killers, etc.).
***
Is anyone interested in helping me find research on those topics? Anectdotal responses or personal opinions are interesting, but not of much use to me in discussions with my shrink. What I need is real research, reports citing lack thereof, or assistance in tearing apart shoddy research reports.
Regarding anectodal and research, I think it would be a huge stretch of the imagination to consider AAS mind-altering. We simply do not get high off taking steroids like these other drugs. There was a study and the participants couldn't tell if they were receiving steroids or a placebo. We all know you don't get high off these drugs. I'm not talking about a semantic feel good thing interpretation of "high", I mean a brain chemistry high. Also, regarding mood swings, which is higly debated, to me that is not the same thing either. Work causes mood swings, but it is not a drug.
So in my opinion, the bigger issue is if steroid use triggers or leads to abuse of these other drugs. I found one article that has reviewed the literature and concludes that there is little evidence to support that theory (see below). There was one older study in 1988, where the authors claimed that from a survey, steroid users had a high rate of opiate usage. I bet behind the scenes these guys were using it for pain killers due to the aches and pains of bodybuilding. Unforunately, I can' find the reference to it and will post it here later.
SO ... if you want to help me out, let me know, by posting here or emailing me at bornagainschwarznegger@hotmail.com. At a minimum, can someone tell me how you guys get access to research articles?
Here is the article in question above that notes that there is no research regarding AAS leading to mind-altering substance abuse (the PDF file has contents - look for the one regarding AAS and alcohol, etc.). Interesting, the authors even debate if steroid abuse is indeed abuse in the pharmacological sense.
http://www.drugabuse.gov/pdf/monographs/102.pdf
Here are some other links from organizations that are obviously very counter to steroids. In their literature, there is mention of research articles.
http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugpages/steroids.html
http://www.steroidabuse.org/
Last, but not least, I am open to the notion that I am in denail. If it is found that AAS are indeed mind-altering or lead to such abuse, then in the interest of my family and mental well-being, I would of course give it up.
Thanks!!
Here is the scoop. I have a history of substance abuse, recently relapsed, and am now working with a psychiatrist and recovery center on my own accord. My wife is included as part of the process. Unfortunately, she told my shrink about my steroid use.
As some of you may be aware, once you are diagnosed with substance dependence as a disease, you have to abstain 100% from all mind-altering substances, even if you have no problems with those drugs. The risk is called cross-addiction, either substituing another drug for your drug of choice or possibly triggering relapse with your drug of choice. My shrink is throwing steroids into the bag of mind-altering substances.
I would like to refute the position of my shrink that steroids be lumped into the same bucket of substances. That using steroids does not constitute a breach of recovery. If you read the research, although inconclusive and frought with lot of issues, there is no doubt that steroids are abused and have health risks, etc.
That said, I believe the questions in this context is two-fold. First, are AAS compounds mind-altering substances? Second, does the use of steroids lead to the use of the classic mind-altering chemicals (alchohol, cocaine, marijuana, pain killers, etc.).
***
Is anyone interested in helping me find research on those topics? Anectdotal responses or personal opinions are interesting, but not of much use to me in discussions with my shrink. What I need is real research, reports citing lack thereof, or assistance in tearing apart shoddy research reports.
Regarding anectodal and research, I think it would be a huge stretch of the imagination to consider AAS mind-altering. We simply do not get high off taking steroids like these other drugs. There was a study and the participants couldn't tell if they were receiving steroids or a placebo. We all know you don't get high off these drugs. I'm not talking about a semantic feel good thing interpretation of "high", I mean a brain chemistry high. Also, regarding mood swings, which is higly debated, to me that is not the same thing either. Work causes mood swings, but it is not a drug.
So in my opinion, the bigger issue is if steroid use triggers or leads to abuse of these other drugs. I found one article that has reviewed the literature and concludes that there is little evidence to support that theory (see below). There was one older study in 1988, where the authors claimed that from a survey, steroid users had a high rate of opiate usage. I bet behind the scenes these guys were using it for pain killers due to the aches and pains of bodybuilding. Unforunately, I can' find the reference to it and will post it here later.
SO ... if you want to help me out, let me know, by posting here or emailing me at bornagainschwarznegger@hotmail.com. At a minimum, can someone tell me how you guys get access to research articles?
Here is the article in question above that notes that there is no research regarding AAS leading to mind-altering substance abuse (the PDF file has contents - look for the one regarding AAS and alcohol, etc.). Interesting, the authors even debate if steroid abuse is indeed abuse in the pharmacological sense.
http://www.drugabuse.gov/pdf/monographs/102.pdf
Here are some other links from organizations that are obviously very counter to steroids. In their literature, there is mention of research articles.
http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugpages/steroids.html
http://www.steroidabuse.org/
Last, but not least, I am open to the notion that I am in denail. If it is found that AAS are indeed mind-altering or lead to such abuse, then in the interest of my family and mental well-being, I would of course give it up.
Thanks!!
