Anabolic steroid abuse is a difficult topic to define.
The line between anabolic steroid use and abuse is blurry, and there are no clear criteria to distinguish safe and responsible use from abuse.
The public and the media often exaggerate the dangers of anabolic steroids or provide misinformation.
However, research shows that anabolic steroids can be very safe when used cautiously and with proper guidelines.
While anabolic steroids can be effective in treating diseases, their use for performance enhancement can lead to side effects.
This creates controversy surrounding the definition and use of anabolic steroids.
It is difficult to define the boundary between use and abuse because anabolic steroids act differently from other drugs, and their effects are highly individual.
This article aims to define anabolic steroid abuse and explain the line where use turns into abuse.
Defining Use vs. Abuse 1/2: The Context of Use
Every drug, supplement, compound, chemical, and food has a risk-to-benefit ratio.
This refers to the degree to which the benefits outweigh the risks, and factors that determine this include the type of drug, dosage, duration of use, individual genetic response, and age.
Anabolic steroids are among the safer drugs in medicine, falling into the low risk-to-benefit ratio category.
The medical community considers anabolic steroids to be low-risk therapeutic drugs with a high safety profile.
However, abuse can lead to serious health risks, which are magnified when it escalates to overdose.
The definition of abuse is a situation where excessive use causes harm to one’s health.
The definition of anabolic steroid abuse is often limited and ambiguous.
The definitions applied to narcotics and anabolic steroids are particularly unclear in this regard, highlighting the importance of context.
Context refers to the conditions surrounding a specific event or situation, and simplistic or general statements should be avoided in scientific and medical discussions.
For example, when the media claims “anabolic steroids are bad for you,” they often fail to explain the context in which that statement is made.
This is often done to attract sensationalist attention.
The definition of anabolic steroid abuse can vary depending on the source and person, but there are generally three accepted definitions.
1. Use without a valid prescription or outside of prescribed guidelines
Defining this as abuse can be flawed, as anabolic steroids are often used off-label for various purposes.
For instance, many anabolic steroids developed in the 1950s and 60s were created for performance enhancement, and doctors often still find them suitable for treating patients.
Prescription guidelines vary by country, so regulations on anabolic steroid use are also fluid.
2. Exceeding Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) doses
Many doctors consider any anabolic steroid use beyond TRT doses as abuse, but this can be an incomplete definition.
While doses used beyond TRT may be considered ‘abuse,’ they cannot be deemed inappropriate if used for therapeutic purposes.
3. Violating legal regulations
The use of anabolic steroids in violation of legal regulations does not necessarily define it as abuse.
It is illogical to define use as abuse, especially in countries where anabolic steroids are legal.
Changes in the law can affect the definition of abuse, but the law itself does not provide an absolute standard for abuse.
Defining Anabolic Steroid Abuse 2/2: Drawing the Line
All drug use carries inherent risks, and the risk-to-benefit ratio is a critical factor.
Risk can be described by the ratio of the effective dose to the lethal dose; drugs where the effective dose is too close to the lethal dose require caution.
Anabolic steroids are one such drug that exhibits these characteristics.
There are many drugs, compounds, and foods with a high risk-to-benefit ratio; for example, even a moderate amount of peanuts can be fatal for someone with an allergy.
It is often difficult to define a “moderate” amount of use.
For example, you can never drink bleach in ‘moderation,’ but you can consume alcohol moderately.
Fast food doesn’t cause significant harm if not overeaten.
So, can anabolic steroids be used in moderation?
It is inaccurate to classify anabolic steroids like alcohol or cocaine; alcohol causes far more damage than anabolic steroids.
Anabolic steroid abuse can be defined as when the risk ratio increases due to excessive increases in dosage, duration, and frequency, leading to severe physical damage.
Therefore, abuse of anabolic steroids can be defined as occurring when physical damage becomes severe due to excessive increases in dosage.
Explaining the Slippery Slope of Anabolic Steroid Abuse
It is not appropriate to judge anabolic steroid abuse by a specific dosage alone.
Most men can tolerate supraphysiological levels of testosterone without serious harm, and the response to dosage varies individually.
One person might use high doses of testosterone without issue, while another could suffer severe damage from the same dose.
Thus, the point at which anabolic steroid use is considered abuse depends on individual response, and a specific dose does not always lead to abuse.
A good analogy for this is alcohol and fast food.
Used in moderation, they cause no harm, but excessive use can be detrimental to the body.
Like the difference between an alcoholic and a social drinker, problems with anabolic steroid use arise from excessive dosages and extended periods of use.
Users often increase their dosage or add more drugs, thinking their use is under control, but they risk transitioning into abuse.
This process is slow, and users often don’t recognize it until a problem arises.
Common Traits of Steroid Abuse and Those Most at Risk
There are several types of anabolic steroid abusers.
First, there are those with a lack of education about anabolic steroids, who are likely to abuse them out of ignorance and misuse.
Second, there are users who gradually lose their reasoning abilities and abuse them compulsively.
Third, adolescents and individuals under 24 are at very high risk of abuse due to their developing bodies.
They can develop long-term health problems due to their immature endocrine systems.
Finally, women have a lower tolerance for anabolic steroids than men, and their use can entail serious health risks, requiring very strict regulations.
Anabolic steroid abuse is actually rarer than thought, but it can cause serious problems for individuals at high risk under certain conditions.
Inaccurate Portrayals of Anabolic Steroid Users and Real Statistical Data
The mass media and government often present a distorted portrayal of anabolic steroid users.
They depict users as athletes, big guys who only go to the gym, sharing needles and using steroids in the locker room.
However, this is just an exaggerated stereotype; in reality, anabolic steroid users are often well-educated, middle-class men with an average age of 25-35, many of whom use them for cosmetic purposes.
According to studies, 74% of anabolic steroid users hold a college degree, and 78.4% are not bodybuilders or athletes.
Conclusion
Anabolic steroid abuse is the result of many factors, including the drug used, dosage, duration, individual response and tolerance, and method of use.
There is a clear difference between responsible, moderate use and abuse, and a line exists that separates the two.
Basic use of anabolic steroids is not considered abuse; rather, the improper and excessive use of the drug is defined as abuse.
It is illogical and hypocritical to label all use of anabolic steroids without a doctor’s prescription as abuse, and society needs to stop applying a double standard to them.
