Ever since the mid-1980s, after a series of violent crimes committed by bodybuilders, the world is convinced that ‘roid rage’ is a real thing that makes bodybuilders ticking bombs. As if insanely huge, drug-promoted muscles weren’t enough to brand discipline as unhealthy and dangerous.
Roid rage is considered to be a short psychotic episode produced by the frequent use of anabolic ster*ids and characterized by a loss of control over ones impulses and a violent explosion of anger.
We all know about the effects of anabolic drug usage on the health and bodily functions – those are very real and serious. But it seems that no one can tell for sure if the mental effects of anabolics can stretch into the dramatic proportions of uncontrollable fury. Researchers have yet to agree whether roid rage is a real thing.
On one hand, since anabolics’ effect on the body mimics that of testosterone, it’s true that when used in high doses, anabolics can increase irritability and aggression in any user. On the other hand, though, the exposure to anabolics may simply uncover an underlying psychiatric disorder that hasn’t been provoked yet in the individual. Also, in people who are naturally more agressive or emotionally troubled, anabolic use could further enhance their unhealthy reactions to stress.
So, in most cases of the elusive ‘roid rage’, the users have preexisting psychological issues that are being sparked up by drug abuse, which is the case with many other drugs as well. In fact, substance dependency can be responsible for violent emotional outbursts more often than anything else.
This means that ster*ids are not the root of this problem, but will merely act as triggers. One Swedish research that studied the relationship between crime and ster*id usage found that the latter may be linked with premeditated crimes – those involving preparation and advance planning, which doesn’t quite belong to the standard range of psychotic behaviors.
In other words, it doesn’t mean that ster*id users are likely to lose the control over their emotions and commit impulsive crimes – instead, it shows that criminals involved in serious, meticulously organized crimes use ster*ids to increase muscle mass, self-confidence and aggression. That makes ster*ids a tool to be used by all kind of people as they seem fit – and sadly, as with all other tools, they can be used for a variety of horrible purposes.
Most often, people themselves and their unique personalities hold the key to both excellence and disaster, so make sure you check the facts before you pass judgement. Substance abuse is never a smart choice, and the same applies to ster*ids as well.
It’s way too easy to generalize that all bodybuilders who use ster*ids are one step away from becoming a threat to society, but that kind of conclusion would be based on anecdotal and circumstantial evidence that’s far from enough to support such a bold statement. For every bad egg in the basket, there are hundreds of great guys who are just trying to improve their physique and performance and lead a more fulfilled life.
After all, bodybuilding in itself is a great discipline devoted to enforcing a positive lifestyle, and isolated negative cases shouldn’t create a bad reputation for everyone else.
In the meanwhile, the question remains: is roid rage a myth or a real phenomenon? What do you think? Feel free to leave your comments in the section below.
Like any drug the problem lies with misuse. I have personally used a variety of enhancing supplements. There are benefits as well as dangers, and no the benefits i am talking about are not just big muscles. Overuse, lack of knowledge and a lack of PCT are the cause of ‘roid rage’, and yes accompanied by underlying physchological or emotional issues can trigger it too. It all depends on the person. If you are a more violent and aggresive person, you are more like to get angry whike using ster*ids, just as if you were drinker or dependant on another drug and you were to misuse or mismanage them.