The Harmful Side Effects of Steroid UseThe purpose of this article is to educate the reader about the harmful side effects of steroid use and the consequences they have on the user's body. I also discuss the legal consequences of steroid possession/use and describe false claims made by steroid marketers. Steroids are defined as artificial versions of the hormone testosterone made by four carbon rings connected by attached hydrogen molecules. When the dangerous consequences of steroid use are overlooked, steroids can be promoted as a useful muscle-building drug. And many people in the United States take anabolic steroid pills (anabolic means to grow or build) or inject themselves with this drug to try to achieve a perfect figure. The reality is that the perfect body does not exist and the side effects of steroid use are very harmful to the body and brain. The resulting problems can be irreversible and even lead to death! Steroids, when taken orally, pass through the digestive tract and to the liver where they are processed and introduced into the bloodstream. However, injected steroids enter the bloodstream directly. Either way, the steroids end up in the bloodstream. As you know, blood circulates throughout the body and has two main areas where the effects of steroids are most strongly felt: In the limbic system The part of your brain that controls your moods, memory and learning is called the limbic system. This is the part of your brain where anabolic steroids mainly work. People who use anabolic steroids typically experience a drop in grades and loss of previous memory. However, the most visible change in a steroid user is in their mood. So-called “Roid rages” are aggressive behaviors towards family, friends or even strangers. Symptoms can include severe, violent outbursts. Users may also experience feelings of depression and irritability. Within the Endocrine System The control center for testosterone production in your brain is called the hypothalamus. In addition to producing testosterone, the hypothalamus controls appetite, blood pressure, mood, and reproductive capacity. When anabolic steroids are present in the blood, they are detected as excess testosterone and the hypothalamus becomes "confused" and can disrupt normal hormone production and use! In men, the resulting lack of testosterone can cause the testicles to shrink, leading to lower sperm counts, reducing reproductive capacity and triggering permanent scalp hair loss...