Australian men are bulking up at alarming rates. But there’s a toxic truth beneath it all: steroid use. They might have originally been about gains, but steroids can ravage lives. They are linked to impulsive behaviour, mental health issues and drug addiction. There is a link between steroid use and men who end up in prison because their effects can lead to all sorts of unintended erratic behaviours – and the consequences can be dire.
Unlike other drugs, where the user’s behaviour changes quickly and drastically, steroid usage causes a slow, gradual change that is almost unnoticed at first. But, over the course of a few months, they can transform someone into a completely different person: pursuing lustful desires, using other drugs, drinking alcohol, impulsively spending money or shopping or even having violent bursts of road rage, like when driving behind a grandmother trying to drive at the speed limit. For most people, these changes may not be too dramatic; for some, they are a recipe for disaster. But there is little to no information or support services for people who use steroids.
Many men who go to prison were on the juice before coming in. Does anyone ask about this? No, not at all. They ask about all the other drugs – but why not steroids too? Where is the support given by health professionals to help us understand the real consequences of these synthetic hormones we inject into our bodies and how they impact the decisions many make before we come to prison?
Think about all the erratic decisions you made as a hyped up teenager. Now think about all the bad habits you’ve accumulated over all the years. Now put those both together and add NOS! Of course it’s going to lead you to do, say and use things you wouldn’t in your natural state.
It’s time to talk about steroid use. Write to us at About Time to keep the conversation going.
