Steroids Treatment and Rehab

Steroids Info

• Steroids Addiction and Abuse
• Steroids Symptoms and Warning Signs
• Steroids Treatment and Rehab
• Steroids Withdrawal and Detox

There are over one million steroid users in the UK, most of whom use anabolic steroids to improve performance and/or body image. Older men hoping to preserve youthful looks, teenagers who want to change their body shape, and young adults who desire larger muscle mass all abuse steroids. Research has shown that physical appearance, not improved athletic performance, is the main reason why most people abuse steroids.

There is mounting pressure on young men to imitate the looks of attractive models, actors, and celebrities. The “ripped” male is believed to be attractive to women, and thus improves self-esteem as well as confidence. Thousands of men put their lives at risk to achieve this look by using a cocktail of Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs (IEPDs) to transform their body.

In response to the demand for steroids, underground labs have sprung up. Police reports show these laboratories cook steroids in the UK, or import them from countries where IEPDs are legal. Welsh boys as young as 13 have been found to use IEPDs, and it has become acceptable in certain social circles and gyms. You might not see it as drug abuse, because it doesn’t trigger dopamine production in the brain like other substances, but the feeling you derive from the drug reinforces repeat use.

Steroid Treatment and Rehab

Before they were called steroids, German scientists were able to synthesize testosterone in 1935 to treat depression. It wasn’t until 1954 that the first cases of abuse were recorded during the Olympic games, when Russian weightlifters used testosterone to boost performance. In the wake of the effectiveness of the drug at the Olympics, Dr Zeigler, an American physician, developed anabolic steroids and by the 80s, steroid use had become commonplace.

The use of steroids is linked to body image issues, as young men aim for the same bodies they see on magazine covers and their TV screens. The popular route of using steroids is via injection. This sends the drug directly to your muscles or bloodstream. Alternate means include creams and gel tabs. When you use steroids, you’ll notice changes in your body such as: deepening of your voice, enlargement of some sex glands, increased facial hair, increased muscle mass, and more calcium in your bones.

When you decide to stop using steroids, you might experience withdrawal symptoms such as insomnia, low sex drive, and mood swings. Your body has adjusted to the presence of steroids, so it’s important that you detox in a conducive environment, where medical professionals can supervise to ensure you remain safe during the detox. After detox, you’ll transition to a rehab facility where clinical psychologists will help you understand the underlying reasons for your steroid abuse and work through the issues that might trigger a relapse.

A 2006 study revealed that 13% of individuals who abuse steroids share needles and are at risk of Hepatitis and HIV. Signs of abuse include the rapid appearance of lean muscle mass within a short period of time, spending more time at the gym, ordering syringes, receiving strange packages, hiding vials, track marks in the skin from injections, and a strange odour that emanates from steroid creams.

Addiction treatment helps to safely guide you through the withdrawal process and remove all steroids from your body. Mental health professionals will address the body image issues that might have led to steroid abuse, as well as other dual diagnoses discovered at intake. Inpatient treatment is the most comprehensive treatment because it allows you focus on your recovery. Techniques used in rehab include individual therapy, group therapy, and support groups.

Treatment for Steroid Addiction is a Necessity

Steroid abuse should be treated like any addiction to stimulants or other substances. There is a high potential for substance dependence and accompanying withdrawal symptoms when you quit the drug.

There are health problems that can develop from long-term steroid abuse. You might experience elevated blood sugar levels, leading to diabetes. You’re also at risk of heart damage and liver failure as well as liver cancer.

It is important you seek treatment when you notice you’ve developed a dependence on steroids. Rehab facilities will help you beat steroid addiction. Medical doctors monitor you during detox and mental health counsellors equip you with the necessary skills to relearn how to live a steroid-free life.

Side Effect of Steroid Abuse

There are several side effects that might occur when you abuse steroids, ranging from mild, short-term side effects, to long-term side effects. Most of the effects are reversible if you seek addiction treatment in time and learn how to function without steroids. Anabolic steroids are synthetic and influence your gender characteristics when you abuse them. Taking up to 100 times the regular dose leads to the following side effects:

Data regarding the long-term side effects of steroid abuse are derived from case reports, not formal studies. The severe effects are underreported because they occur years later when the sufferer might not be under the purview of researchers.

Long-term effects include:

Cardiovascular diseases: Steroid use has been linked to diseases such as artery damage, heart attack and stroke. It causes heart problems by increasing the low-density lipoprotein levels.

Imbalanced hormone system: Females who use steroids appear more masculine as body fat and breast size are both reduced. Your voice deepens and skin becomes coarse. You might lose scalp hair and experience excessive hair growth in other places. In men, hormonal changes such as hypogonadism and reduced sperm production can be treated. Permanent damage includes increased breast size and baldness.

Why are Steroids so Addictive?

The chemical imbalance caused by anabolic steroids leads to suicidal ideation, mood swings, and depression. The loss of muscle mass and feeling of confidence you enjoyed whilst on steroids might drive you to continue using them. Steroids are not intoxicating but they alter dopamine pathways in the brain and produce hormonal changes when you quit them. Abuse is further complicated when you mix steroids with alcohol and other addictive substances.

Therapy and Specialized Treatment Options

Long-term steroid users who are experiencing medical health problems will benefit from an inpatient stay at a rehab centre. Here, all symptoms of withdrawal will be addressed. If left untreated, depression might linger for more than a year. You’ll also undergo comprehensive behavioural therapy to help you quit using steroids and maintain abstinence after treatment.

Most steroid rehab centres have different programs, so it’s important to choose a recovery program that meets your specific recovery needs. Steroids don’t produce a high like stimulants and psychedelics, but you still experience withdrawal when you try to quit. At a specialised centre, doctors know the right medications that will reduce cravings and treat each symptom as it occurs. Treatment options include inpatient rehab, detoxification, outpatient rehab, sober living facilities, peer support, 12-step programs and aftercare.

You’ll also be prescribed medication during treatment to help with cravings and withdrawal. Medications include:

Anti-inflammatory drugs: Pain relief medications such as ibuprofen and aspirin.

Clonidine: This drug is used to reduce symptoms such as muscle pain, anxiety, and cramping. It also helps to lower your blood pressure.

Antidepressants: Medications such as Effexor and Prozac can take up to six weeks before you see results.

Synthetic Hormones: An endocrinologist who specializes in hormone treatment may prescribe medication to normalize imbalanced testosterone levels.

Inpatient Rehab and Outpatient Rehab for Steroid Addiction

Inpatient Steroid Rehab

Residential treatment is one of the most comprehensive treatment programmes for steroid addicts. It’s ideal if you’re a long-term user, have a history of substance use disorder, depression, anger issues, or anxiety. Inpatient treatment eliminates all temptation through the provision of an isolated therapeutic environment, where your only focus is on getting better and making a full recovery from steroid abuse.

Programmes might differ in some rehabs, but they all follow a structured plan that includes support group meetings, nutritional therapy, individual therapy, educational classes, family visits and alternative therapies. Depending on the severity of your addiction, inpatient therapy might last between one to three months. The first step in rehab is to help you detox safely. During detox, doctors might prescribe medication to ease withdrawal symptoms.

Behavioural therapists will address all co-occurring disorders diagnosed at intake, most of which are related to body image issues and low self-esteem. Counsellors will help you understand that there is nothing wrong with your body, and work to change your mindset towards a healthier, sustainable lifestyle.

Outpatient Steroid Rehab

Outpatient programs are ideal if you’re a short-term steroid user with mild addiction. It is designed for addicts whose home or work life prevents them from fully committing to treatment. The main difference, when compared with inpatient care, is that you receive treatment from home and won’t enjoy round the clock support from medical professionals.

if you’re attending rehab as an outpatient, you must be personally motivated to get better and have the support of close family/friends to help you through your recovery journey. Gym junkies who can’t stay away from the gym should register as an inpatient.

What to Know about Steroid Clinics

The first two days are the hardest at any rehab centre. When you arrive at the rehab centre, you’ll be received by a clinical psychologist and asked to fill in a questionnaire requesting personal details about your drug use history, medical conditions, and other personal information that will help your treatment team design a recovery plan for you.

You can leave anytime you want, even when you were forced into treatment by loved ones. Treatment is only successful, however, when you engage in activities, have a desire to recover and participate in therapy. Choose a rehab centre that has an in-house detox centre because it’s easier to then transition into rehab.

Education is at the core of drug rehabilitation. You’ll learn how to prepare meals that naturally improve performance in the gym, identify your triggers, and learn how to cope with them without relapsing. Take your maintenance medication at the same time every day, as it’ll help with cravings and ease withdrawal discomfort.

Private Steroid Rehabs and Confidentiality

Confidentiality is a founding principle of all rehab centres. You’re the only person with the authority to share your data with non-medical personnel who are not directly involved in your treatment. It’s hard enough admitting you need professional help to overcome steroid addiction because it makes you feel exposed and vulnerable. Rehab facilities follow painstaking measures to protect your data.

Staff sign a confidentiality agreement that legally prevents them from discussing your treatment with the media or your family members. You’ll also be provided with a copy of your confidentiality agreement during intake and assessment.

Individual and Group Therapy

The ideal size ranges from 10-12 clients, although some groups have larger numbers and several drug counsellors guiding the sessions. Types of group counselling include self-help groups, interpersonal group psychotherapy, and modified dynamic group therapy.

Duration of Treatment

Detox

There is no predetermined time frame for detox. However, it generally takes between three to five days and withdrawal symptoms might last up to two weeks. Research shows that depression might continue for up to a year after treatment and hypogonadism (a condition where the ovaries or testes do not function properly) can potentially be resolved within a few weeks.

Inpatient Rehab

if you recently began using steroids, you can register for a short stay at a rehab facility. The programme is ideal for mild addicts who do not have mental or medical issues. Short stays last between 28-30 days.

Long-term rehab stays are recommended by addiction specialists and medical professionals. Studies show that treatment is more effective when you stay in rehab for at least 60 days. The ideal length of rehab is 90 days, to ensure you receive comprehensive care. However, there are longer rehab stays ranging from six months to a year for long-term addicts who need more specialized care.

Outpatient Treatment

An Intensive Outpatient Programme (IOP) lasts between 10-16 weeks depending on your addiction treatment needs. The programme is recommended for high-functioning addicts who can’t take time off work to attend rehab as inpatients.

Detoxing from Steroids – All you need to know

Steroids are a synthetic version of testosterone. Athletes and gym junkies use steroids to boost performance and improve physical appearance. The two most commonly abused steroids include corticosteroids and anabolic steroids.

Anabolic Steroid Withdrawal

Anabolic steroids enhance muscle tone and growth. They can be absorbed through the skin via cream or gel, injected into the muscle directly, or taken orally as a pill. There is no euphoria when you take anabolic steroids because it’s specifically used for enhancing appearance. It produces a feeling of aggression, power, and self-confidence.

Withdrawal may last between five days to two weeks depending on the dosage of steroids and duration of use. Depression is the gravest withdrawal symptom associated with Anabolic steroid detox. Research shows symptoms can last up to a year and some users could develop protracted hypogonadism after withdrawal. Other withdrawal symptoms of anabolic steroids include:

Corticosteroid Withdrawal

You might abuse corticosteroids and prednisone if you struggle with substance use disorder. While they’re not addictive substances, they affect the levels of cortisol in the brain, reducing the natural amount produced and causing dependence on corticosteroids.

Most of the withdrawal symptoms reduce after a week. Your doctor might use the tapering method to wean you off corticosteroids and to prevent the onset of withdrawal discomfort. Tapering is useful in most individuals and with the right dose, you won’t require replacement medication during treatment.

Withdrawal symptoms include:

Psychological Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Millions of people around the world struggle with body image issues and low-self esteem. Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a disorder that makes you believe that you’re weak and small, even though in reality you may be muscular and strong. CBT is a psychological therapy that helps you change your negative thinking patterns for positive emotions and thoughts.

If you’re struggling with BDD, CBT addresses negative body image, negative self-evaluation, and criticism of your own weight and body shape. You’ll also discuss binge eating, body checking, and purging. After identifying problematic factors, you’ll work to address and change each factor to allow healing to take place.

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)

If you suffer from body image issues, your distortion of self is your reality. You’ve created an illusion of what your body looks like, convinced yourself that you’re unattractive, feel shame about your body weight, and feel uncomfortable in your own body.

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy teaches you to manage difficult emotions and perception of self in a non-destructive way. You’ll learn to identify negative thoughts from a non-judgmental view and acquire coping skills for dealing with triggers and emotions. DBT combines mindfulness with CBT to create change and improve self-acceptance. You’ll learn mindfulness techniques to challenge negative body image distortions and practice self-acceptance that leads to a healthy lifestyle.

Risks of Treatment

The risk of steroid treatment is mitigated when you enrol as an inpatient. Detox is unpredictable, with hormonal imbalances and mental health issues. If you detox at home, you’re not equipped to handle suicidal thoughts or depression (both severe side effects of withdrawal). Doctors in a detox centre provide withdrawal medications to normalise hormone production, balance serotonin levels, and treat other symptoms that might arise.

Do not self-medicate because it might lead to overdose or worsen withdrawal symptoms. Quitting cold turkey is also not advised. Medical detox remains the safest way to avoid complications during steroid abuse treatment.

Paying for Steroid Addiction Treatment

The cost of rehab might prevent you from seeking treatment for steroid addiction. Your first option is to look to your insurance coverage. Residential programmes are more expensive than outpatient programmes, but your insurer might cover the full cost of treatment, depending on your level of insurance coverage.

Some rehab centres offer scholarships for treatment. You could reach out to some rehab centres to find out their requirements. Alternatively, work out a financing plan with the rehab centre of your choice. To reduce the burden of payment, they’ll spread the cost over a longer period.

Other options include:

Ending Your Steroid Treatment – When and Why?

Addiction experts always talk about the importance of following doctor’s orders while in treatment because they have experience helping patients recover with minimal side effects and discomfort.

Several reasons why you might leave rehab Against Medical Advice (AMA) include:

If you leave rehab before your official discharge date, it will affect the outcome of your recovery efforts. You’re not yet ready to face triggers and temptations and will likely relapse within the first month after leaving treatment.

Discuss your fears or thoughts about leaving rehab in therapy sessions. Substance abuse treatment is not an easy task to accomplish but the result is always worth the effort. Stay in treatment until you’re discharged by your doctors. Detox, pharmacology, and behavioural therapies will help to balance hormones, remove steroids from your body, help you understand your addiction, and prepare you for a life of abstinence from steroids.

Post-Rehabilitation Support

Aftercare is an integral part of addiction treatment because it helps you maintain abstinence and receive support after treatment. It is usually conducted in an outpatient setting. The goal of an aftercare programme is to prevent relapse and ensure you do not return to addictive behaviour.

An aftercare programme may include group counselling, steroid support groups for individuals dealing with steroid addiction, individual therapy, and 12-step programs such as Narcotic Anonymous where you’ll learn coping skills from the experience of other recovering addicts.

The Risk of Relapse and Tips to Prevent Steroid Relapse

Research shows that several factors might lead to relapse in addicts. Recovering addicts who enjoy support from loved ones and family members have a higher chance of avoiding relapse. Those who don’t have a support system are more likely to relapse.

Teenagers and young men who have body image issues or mental health issues that have not been properly addressed might relapse when faced with triggers. Stress and spending time in an environment where steroid use is common might also trigger a relapse.

A few tips to prevent steroid relapse triggers include:

• Attend support group meetings even when you feel stable
• Create a list of triggers such as places, people, and activities that have fueled drug use in the past
• Avoid gyms where people use steroids and look for alternative ways to stay healthy and exercise
• Speak to your sponsor when you feel tempted to use steroids

Family Therapy

Your family is an integral part of your life. They play a huge role in providing the motivation that will help you quit steroid abuse and maintain abstinence. Family therapy uses various therapy techniques to help you live a steroid-free life. Issues that will be discussed in therapy include family conflict, depression, parenting skills, unemployment, communication skills and family conflict.

Types of family therapy include:

Get Help – Reach out today

If you’re a gym junkie, the thought of juicing to accelerate the bulking process has probably come up once or twice in conversations at your local gym. Most steroid users aren’t athletes, rather, they are regular men who want to improve their physical appearance. It’s a high price to pay for a fit body considering the dangers associated with steroid use.

FAQs

External Link List

• http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/drugs/steroids.asp#history
• https://healthfully.com/the-long-term-effects-of-steroids-4113982.html
• https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/steroids-other-appearance-performance-enhancing-drugs-apeds/what-are-side-effects-anabolic-steroid-misuse
• https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-adolescent-substance-use-disorder-treatment-research-based-guide/frequently-asked-questions/are-steroids-addictive-can-steroid-abuse-be-treated
• https://www.steroidabusehelp.com/five-potential-steroid-relapse-triggers
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/anabolic-steroid-misuse/
• https://www.withdrawal.net/steroids/
• https://americanaddictioncenters.org/steroid-abuse
• https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/blog/dialectical-behavioral-therapy-techniques-and-body-image
• https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/treatment-for-eating-disorders/types-of-treatments/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-cbt/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-and-body-image
• https://www.rehabcenter.net/dangers-leaving-rehab/
• https://www.addictioncenter.com/rehab-questions/paying-for-treatment/
• https://www.recovery.org/steroid-addiction/recovery/
• https://drugabuse.com/steroids/effects-use/
• https://www.recovery.org/steroid-addiction/
• https://www.recovery.org/steroid-addiction/withdrawal/