"Players that are guilty of taking steroids are not only
cheaters, you are cowards. ...Show our kids that you're man
enough to face authority, tell the truth and face the
consequences." -- Donald Hooton of Plano, Texas, who testified
before Congress that his son, Taylor, a high school baseball
player, committed suicide in 2003 after steroid use.
Does your child use steroids?
Of course not.
That's what concerned parents want to believe.
Yet scores of young people are consuming a toxic stew, drugs
they believe will enhance physical strength, performance and
stamina, and build confidence.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows
steroid use among male high school students rose 65 percent from
3.7 to 6.1 percent between 1999 and 2003; among female students
it jumped from 2.2 to 5.3 percent, or a whopping 140 percent.
Many of these young people have as their unfortunate role models
certain high-profile athletes who have been implicated in
steroid use.
So, parents, be wary. Steroids are stealthy predators. Watch
for warning signs: rapidly bulked-up muscles, preoccupation with
"getting big," unusual acne, major mood swings, muscle
magazines, pills or powders promising muscle development, and
vials and syringes.
If you suspect a problem, get between the drugs and your child,
impressing upon him or her the fact that what they're doing is
illegal and very dangerous.
You may be what saves your child from devastating health
problems or from death.
What Are They:
So-called anabolic-androgenic steroids are man-made substances
related to male sex hormones. "Anabolic" refers to
muscle-building, and "androgenic" refers to increased masculine
characteristics, as defined by the National Institute on Drug
Abuse.
"Steroids" refers to the class of drugs, often legally
prescribed for people with wasting diseases such as AIDS.
But illegal use, which can add body size, is just as likely to
destroy or impair the liver, heart and kidneys, emotional
stability and normal sexual development of kids.
I know all this because I abused steroids for three and a half
years in the mid - 80's -- and they almost killed me. They also
ruined relationships and hurt my parents, parents who had raised
me lovingly.
As a user, I learned to lie to my father and steal from my
mother's purse.
I had no conscience.
I had good reasons for steroid use -- or so I thought.
Steroids primarily appeal to young people who are looking for
an athletic edge or those who want a quick fix to a better body.
All want to "supersize" themselves, to create a new and improved
version. I had suffered in school due to my short stature and a
stutter, both of which attracted bullies and teasing. Steroids
looked like the perfect remedy. My heroes, after all, included
The Incredible Hulk and a giant of a man named Arnold
Schwarzenegger -- who eventually admitted to using steroids.
Finally Broken:
Eventually steroid use broke me, literally. My body and mind
were in shambles. A long, long road back included physical and
mental evaluations, addiction support group meetings, and
exercise -- workouts not meant to "bulk up" but to help my
battered body and mind reacquaint themselves.
I am now the father of two boys.
My life has been resurrected from the disaster known as
steroids. That is why I am here to caution other parents: It
doesn't just happen to someone else's kids.
When young people look at the hard, muscles bodies presented by
smiling, oversized human beings, they see a tempting
portrait.
Potential users are seduced by this fake
picture of health and vitality and virility. The picture doesn't
show the strain on the arteries, the wear and tear on the heart
and the psyche.
It doesn't show the caskets.
For more information about
steroid abuse go to
http://www.StopSteroidAbuse.com
About the author:
Jeff Rutstein, author of
The Steroid Deceit and owner of
Boston's Custom Fitness, is a former steroid addict who almost
died from steroid abuse. His recovery from steroid addiction has
been the subject of reports by
The New York Times,
CNN,
Fox News and others. For more information on
the consequences of steroids and how to combat today's epidemic
of steroid abuse, go to
http://www.StopSteroidAbuse.com
