We are in an age where there is a striving for perfection. Maximise your day, your health, how you look. With the constant presence of social media and celebrity culture, normal people, but men especially, have sought out drugs such as steroids to improve their image, performance and ability in sport.

There were nearly one million doses of anabolic steroids seized in the UK last year, showing that the problem is prevalent in our society. However, despite the dangers, many people don’t consider steroid use as recreational drugs like heroin or cocaine.

Anabolic steroids are a dangerous substance. If you are using them or considering it, you should know about the risks of anabolic steroid misuse, signs of addiction and what professional support is available.

 

What Are Anabolic Steroids?

Anabolic steroids are synthetic testosterone medications that are created in labs to copy the effects of the primary male sex hormone.

They are a Class C drug, only available legally from a pharmacist with a prescription. You can be prescribed them if you do not produce enough testosterone naturally or suffer from a severe muscle-wasting disease.

Many people who use anabolic steroids use them illegally. Most commonly, they are found in gyms, used to enhance their muscles and look in the gym. They are also misused by people in sport to boost their performance and get an edge on the competition.

 

Why People Misuse Anabolic Steroids

There are many reasons why people reach for anabolic steroids.

A study discovered that one of the main reasons people use steroids is to enhance their image. In the age where we are bombarded with skinny women and highly muscled men, steroids help with this by promoting muscle growth and making people look “better” or at least larger and fitter.

Steroids are also used to improve sporting performance, with many scandals over the years in professional sports around the use of the substance. Also, those in the bodybuilding space may use them to improve their performance, as the whole focus of competitions is muscle and how you look.

Those who go to the gym may also come up against people who use steroids and either feel pressured or curious to try them out, without properly knowing the dangers.

 

Health Risks of Anabolic Steroid Misuse

There are rising concerns around steroid use because regularly using them can be dangerous in a range of ways.

Cardiovascular Risks

Steroids can put strain on the heart. This raises your blood pressure, meaning your heart pumps harder, damaging vessels and increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

It can also thicken the heart muscle, leading to issues like cardiomyopathy, which can lead to heart failure.

Steroids also affect cholesterol levels, lowering good cholesterol and raising bad cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease and blocked arteries.

Hormonal Effects

Steroids will disrupt hormone production, suppressing natural testosterone production. This then leads to shrunken testicles, reduced sperm count and infertility. In both sexes, this can also mean more body hair, severe acne and fertility issues, and cause mood swings and changes in libido.

For men, steroids can increase oestrogen levels, causing the breast tissue to grow. In women, oestrogen production is disrupted, affecting menstrual cycles.

In some cases, hormonal effects like voice deepening and breast growth in men can remain even after you stop using anabolic steroids.

Psychological Effects

Though anabolic steroids are used to “improve” you physically, they can impact you psychologically.

Anabolic steroids can have an impact on the limbic system, which is involved in regulating emotions. People on steroids often experience severe mood swings, are much more aggressive and can be more likely to engage in violent behaviour.

Dependence can also develop as users believe that steroids help them achieve their goal of looking or performing better, whatever it may be. This can manifest into body dysmorphia, where a person believes they look different and are preoccupied by perceived flaws in their appearance.

 

Signs of Anabolic Steroid Dependence

Long-term use can lead to a range of physical, psychological and behavioural impacts that affect you and people around you. If you want to get the best outcome possible, it’s important to know the signs of dependence so that you can act.

If you recognise any of these signs, consider reaching out to a professional drug rehab. They can give the guidance you need and a more professional assessment.

Physical signs of steroid dependence include:

  • Shrunken testicles
  • Swelling of the clitoris
  • Severe acne
  • Joint pains
  • Breast growth (in men)
  • Bad breath
  • Hair loss

Psychological signs of steroid dependence include:

  • Anxiety about stopping
  • Obsessed with how you look (muscles, physique)
  • Needing steroids to remain confident in yourself
  • More aggressive
  • Mood swings

Behavioural signs of steroid dependence include:

  • Continuing to use steroids despite negative effects
  • Being secretive or lying about steroid use
  • Legal and financial issues around obtaining steroids
  • Strained relationships due to steroid use
  • Neglecting personal responsibilities (work, school, relationships)

 

Getting Help for Anabolic Steroid Misuse

Though steroids aren’t addictive in the traditional sense, as taking them doesn’t produce a high, people can become dependent on them.

You must seek out professional support, as it can be difficult to break free from steroid use, as it is highly psychological and willpower alone is rarely adequate to get clean.

With a structured programme in a professional setting, you are much more likely to overcome your steroid misuse.

Steroid Detox

Stopping steroids can also involve physical withdrawal. In this case, undergoing a supervised detox may be needed. Common steroid withdrawal symptoms include intense mood swings, decline in mental health, sleep issues and extreme fatigue.

In a professional setting, you can do this more comfortably, whilst being under proper care.

Steroid Treatment and Therapies

People take steroids for many reasons that become ingrained behaviour. To break these destructive patterns, individual and group therapies can help you uncover why you felt you needed steroids and develop better coping mechanisms.

Addiction counselling can help you deal with the underlying issues, boost your self-esteem and work on breaking negative cycles. Group therapies can help you connect to others who may be feeling the same way as you, demonstrating that you are not alone.

 

Get Help with Anabolic Steroid Misuse Today

Though not viewed as a traditional drug addiction, anabolic steroids are dangerous and addictive. They can wreck your physical and mental health, causing lifelong issues for chronic users of the drug.

If you are using anabolic steroids and are worried about them, you’re not alone. We at Ocean Recovery approach substance misuse with the compassion and understanding it deserves, ensuring people who contact us always keep their confidentiality.

For a private chat about your anabolic steroid use and our treatment options, contact Ocean Recovery today.

John Gillen - Director at Ocean Recovery

John Gillen - Author - Last updated: August 18, 2026

John is one UK’s leading professionals in the addiction recovery industry. Pioneering new treatment techniques such as NAD+ and ongoing research into new therapy techniques such as systematic laser therapy, John is committed to providing the very best treatment for people throughout the UK and Europe. During his extremely busy schedule, John likes to regularly update our blog section with the latest news and trends in the industry to keep visitors to our site as well informed as possible on everything related to addiction treatment.