Steroids are quite unique among substances that people abuse.

Unlike cocaine, heroin, alcohol, meth or marijuana, steroids don’t give users a high. That’s one reason many people don’t take steroids addiction very seriously. However, steroids most definitely are addictive, and the situation can be severe enough to warrant detox and rehab treatment.

What are Steroids?

Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are synthetically created derivatives of testosterone. Steroids enhance the growth of muscle (known as anabolic effect) as well as male characteristics of puberty (known as androgenic effect). Taken legally, they have numerous benefits. Taken illegally, they can create the need for steroids drug rehab treatment.

When doctors prescribe steroids legally, they can solve a problem for patients with abnormally low levels of testosterone, or if they have diseases that destroy healthy tissue, such as cancer or AIDS. In sports, athletes use them to accelerate the body’s muscle-building process. This ability to increase muscle mass has lead to many cases of steroid abuse, particularly in recent years. Consequently, the need for steroids drug rehab has grown as well.

The appeal for steroids in sports is easy to understand. Lifting weights, running and any form of vigorous exercise will create tiny micro-tears in the fibers of the muscles. When the body repairs these tears, it overcompensates by adding larger cells in order to create fiber that is stronger and more durable in a process called muscular hypertrophy.

Eventually, the continual process of tears and repairs brings about muscle growth. Natural testosterone in the body is the building block for the process of muscular hypertrophy. To speed up the process and enhance the effect, anabolic steroids are often used as a supplement. This sets in motion a process that can easily lead to the need for steroids drug rehab.

Depending on how users ingest steroids and in what amounts affects the type of results that users experience. One result is a massive increase of muscle mass. Another result can be a more natural and toned muscular appearance. Athletes often experiment with a variety of combinations as they attempt to create the exact result they’re looking for. In the process, steroid abuse and addiction is a frequent occurrence, which necessitates steroids drug rehab treatment.

Steroid Abuse and the Need for Steroids Drug Rehab

The medical uses for anabolic steroids are numerous. Unfortunately, many athletes are under enormous pressure to perform at peak rates so the temptation to abuse steroids can be impossible to resist. In many sports, the need for steroids drug rehab has been on the increase each year.

Trying to kick any addictive substance can be difficult, even with professional help. On your own, the task can be overwhelming. In a steroids drug rehab environment, medications can be dispensed by medical professionals to help during steroids detox to restore normal functioning of an individual’s hormonal system. Without these medications, detox becomes problematic, which negatively affects steroids drug rehab treatment.

When considering steroids drug rehab treatment, be sure to look for drug rehab centers that understand steroid addiction specifically. Different types of addiction can vary widely on how they are treated. If a facility doesn’t seem to have much experience with steroids drug rehab treatment, you should keep your options open and continue your search.

 

Steroid Abuse and Addiction: What Are the Consequences?

Even with the many anti-drug campaigns designed to keep students and athletes from abusing drugs, steroid abuse is a significant problem in high schools, universities and professional athletes. Many student and professional athletes view steroids as a relatively safe way to enhance their athletic performance. Unfortunately, steroid use can spin out of control very easily. As abuse and addiction continues, athletes put themselves in great danger of experiencing liver damage, joint pain, hallucinations and depression.

Athletes aren’t the only individuals who can suffer from steroids addiction. Steroids (corticosteroid drugs) are used to treat conditions such as asthma, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and other conditions. Although these are all legitimate reasons for steroid use, many people fall victim to steroid addiction, thereby becoming likely candidates for steroids drug rehab.

Unfortunately, since steroids are legal, many people have difficulty admitting that steroids can be dangerous or that they’re addicted.

Steroid addiction brings with it enormous negative consequences for people’s health and well-being. Consequently, many people try to quit on their own. In doing so, they miss out on benefitting from the care that can be received from treatment experts at a steroids drug rehab center. Coming to grips with steroids addiction can be overwhelming, and many people quickly drift back into using despite their best intentions. For this reason, steroids drug rehab treatment is the best and most effective option available to individuals suffering from steroids addiction.

Steroids Drug Rehab for Addiction Victims

At a steroids drug rehab center, you’ll begin to dig into the cause of your addiction. Yet, before rehab treatment can begin, you will have to go through the process of steroids detox. In detox, all traces of steroids are flushed from your body so that you can begin rehab treatment with a clean body. With detox comes withdrawal symptoms, some of which can be uncomfortable enough to make many people consider going back to steroids just to avoid feeling unwell.

Most people find it easiest to overcome withdrawal symptoms in a reputable center where trained medical professionals can ensure their safety during the entire process. Detoxing on your own means sacrificing the help of addiction experts. In a professional setting, doctors and staff members will monitor your entire steroid withdrawal process. Should any health problems arise, they can act quickly to prevent problems.

More on the Symptoms of Steroid Withdrawal

Depression is a common psychological side effect that occurs during steroids detox. However, there are also many other possible withdrawal effects as well, such as:

Decreased appetite

Restlessness

Fatigue

Insomnia

Cravings for steroids

Decreased libido

A number of evidence-based treatments may be utilized to treat steroids addiction. These treatments also address other problems, some of which may be unique to steroids addiction, such as:

Body dysmorphia: users of steroids sometimes experience “body dysmorphia,” which is a disorder where individuals sense that they appear small and weak when they are actually quite muscular and imposing.

Depression: In withdrawal, this is common with many substances. Professional detox is especially important if suicidal thoughts come into the mix.

Hormonal dysfunction: Users go through additional depression due to the interrupted normal functioning of the testes or ovaries, which is known medically as hypogonadism.

To combat these problems, treatment consists of components such as motivational interviewing. This process helps patients overcome resistance to treatment and gives them the tools they need to fully commit to their own recovery.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective way to address an individual’s misconceptions about:

His or her own body image

Low self-esteem issues

Depression from hypogonadism

Steroid Detox Medications

Prior to steroids drug rehab treatment, some withdrawal symptoms can be effectively managed through the use of certain medications, such as:

Antidepressants: these can be prescribed if there’s a need to deal with depression related to steroid withdrawal or depression related to body dysmorphic disorder.

Analgesics: if there is a need for pain relief.

If steroid use has disrupted the hormonal system, medications can be used to restore it to normal. None of this is possible with self-detox.

Is It Time for Steroids Drug Rehab Treatment?

There are three questions that you must consider:

How severe is steroid usage?

Are you also abusing other substances?

Are there other symptoms, such as anxiety or depression?

If you’re thinking about steroids drug rehab treatment, you should have a discussion with your doctor. He or she can help you understand the implications of steroids addiction, as well as provide guidance about what to look for with steroids drug rehab treatment.

What Should You Look For in a Steroids Drug Rehab Center?

As you look for a steroids drug rehab facility, consider the following:

Is the treatment center well-versed in steroids drug rehab specifically?

Although steroid abuse isn’t as prevalent as alcohol or cocaine addiction, many reputable treatment facilities can treat it. Look for those centers that have dealt with this type of addiction before. Ask these facilities how they treat it. Also ask them about their treatment philosophy because it’s good to know how they approach treating addiction. A center that has little familiarity with steroids addiction is unlikely to be your best choice for steroids drug rehab treatment.

What’s More Appropriate? inpatient or Outpatient Treatment?

Once you’ve accepted that you have a steroids addiction problem, the next step is deciding what type of treatment is most appropriate for your unique needs.

Inpatient Treatment vs Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient treatment: For many people, this will be the right solution. Outpatient steroids drug rehab treatment allows you the freedom you need to continue with school or work while in treatment. Also, health insurance companies generally prefer to cover outpatient treatment because it’s less expensive than inpatient treatment.

At outpatient facilities, patients generally receive treatment for several hours at a time. When individuals in outpatient programs finish their treatment for the day, they can return to their homes, schools or work. They will have to check with specialists at the facility and attend counseling but they don’t remain at the steroids drug rehab center at night.

Outpatient treatment is a frequent choice when individuals can’t set aside family, school or work responsibilities for a month or two. For example, they may need to care for children or other family members or their work won’t allow them to take that amount of time off, whether it’s paid or unpaid. For these patients, outpatient treatment gives them the flexibility they need.

Inpatient/residential treatment: In some cases, outpatient steroids drug rehab treatment simply won’t be enough to work effectively. If your steroids addiction has gone on a very long time or if you’re in an unstable family environment, inpatient treatment may be more appropriate. If there are any co-occurring conditions, such as depression, inpatient treatment can often combat the situation more effectively.

In a residential or inpatient steroids drug rehab treatment program, patients reside on the facility’s campus. Rehab staff prohibits them from leaving the premises until they complete treatment. Treatment is generally anywhere from 30 to 90 days (or longer in more difficult cases). Once patients finish detox to cleanse their bodies of steroids, and rehab treatment where they learn the causes of their addictive behavior, they will be ready to re-enter a life of sobriety.

Inpatient steroids drug rehab treatment offers people a more intensive way to learn coping strategies to avoid temptations and triggers once they return to their daily lives. Patients will also get a better understanding of what lead them to addiction in the first place during inpatient treatment. Being in a protected environment where there’s no access to steroids or other drugs means there’s no possibility of relapse, which isn’t the case in outpatient treatment.

Steroids Drug Rehab Aftercare

The next step in steroids drug rehab recovery is aftercare. Aftercare supports patients after they leave the treatment facility. This can be a difficult time, and aftercare makes this transition easier to handle.

Aftercare offers a comprehensive range of services, including:

Individual therapy: As in inpatient or outpatient treatment, individual therapy offers one-on-one work with a therapist to deal with things that wouldn’t be appropriate in group therapy.

Group therapy: this is a non-judgemental environment where people going through similar addiction and recovery experiences can support each other. This therapy is moderated by a healthcare professional.

Steroid support groups: gives individuals in recovery the opportunity to interact with other people who are also in recovery from steroids addiction.

12-step programs: In inpatient/outpatient treatment as well as aftercare, 12-step programs are a time-tested solution for recovering addicts.

Steroids Drug Rehab Can Help You Overcome Your Addiction

Steroids addiction isn’t something you should accept as something you should just live with. Professional steroids drug rehab treatment is the most effective way to overcome your addiction. If you or someone you love is battling steroids addiction, seek professional help today. Let your future be steroid-free.