Steroids are man-made or synthetic drugs. Their application can be for a variety of reasons, such as to spur puberty among adolescents, increase body performance through muscle development, stamina and endurance and also for health reasons such as: to slow body deterioration, to aid the effects of impotence and other less well known health applications for which a health professional may decide to prescribe the drug.



Steroid abuse is common among males between the ages of 15 and 30. Often they will have had suffered sexual health problems, have been slow in developing through puberty or even have been unhappy with their physique or endurance. Despite that, this is not always the profile of a person who undertakes steroid abuse. Often athletes and bodybuilders will take steroids to take their body to the next level, and particularly appearance conscious people may decide to take steroids to improve their physique even although their body looks relatively muscular before hand. If you are unsure if your loved one is taking steroids, the best thing to do is consider if they have any obvious incentive to take the drug, and also to consider if they could have been prescribed steroids by a doctor for health reasons. Either way it is best to ask them than to worry about it and not say anything.

Often relatives or people who are concerned that about the potential for steroid abuse among people that they know will ask what steroids look like in case they see something which could be them. The answer to this question is that steroids can come in multiple forms, especially if they are acquired in an illegitimate way; despite that, street steroids are usually similar to the steroids that are obtained from a health professional. While injection of oral consumption is the two most common ways of taking steroids, many also use gel or other forms which are applied under the skin. It may be a clear liquid in a bottle, a yellow liquid in a pack along with a needle or a tablet which is pink in color and shaped with 5 corners. Despite that, different brands and variations of the drug come in different forms so you should not automatically assume it to be steroids or not steroids based solely on that evidence alone.

Many people who fear that their loved one may be taking steroids will be concerned about whether or not the drug is addictive. This is an understandable concern, and one which does not yield a clear cut answer. Many will experience side effects for up to 12 months following the last time that they took the drug, while others will experience little side effects at all. It is also worthy of note that some will experience only physiological side effects through a longing to look better while others will experience side effects caused directly through consuming the drug in excessive quantities. These include physical problems, fatigue, mood swings and depression.