+ 10 Can AAS use become addictive?
Miriam-Webster defines addiction as follows:
Definition of addiction for English Language Learners
a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble)
:an unusually great interest in something or a need to do or have something
Psychology Today states in an article on addiction this description.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/addiction
However, most addictive behavior is not related to either physical tolerance or exposure to cues. People commonly use drugs, gamble, or shop compulsively in reaction to being stressed, whether or not they have a physical addiction. Since these psychologically based addictions are not based on drug or brain effects, they can account for why people frequently switch addictive actions from one drug to a completely different kind of drug, or even to a non-drug behavior. The focus of the addiction isn't what matters; it's the need to take action under certain kinds of stress.
I will briefly give my opinion at first, & hopefully others will chime in with thoughts & research.
In my opinion, AAS use, like anything else, can become habitual & habitual can indeed progress into addiction. I know in my case that I have an addictive personality & an addictive trait & with schooling from the school of hard knocks & many lessons learned the hard way, I have learned that I must hold myself accountable & monitor my actions. I have been both an alcoholic & a severe drug addict. Just like many here, when I got clean I turned to the gym & AAS use. Both have been therapeutic, but I have had to put the brakes on myself with the AAS use in the past. I have seen some that loved the injection & it seemingly gave a high, as well as constantly running new cycles, adding compounds habitually, & even the purchasing has became addictive & lets not forget promos.
I want this to be a learning experience & by bringing this subject to light giving individuals an opportunity to check themselves & the intent of why we do what we do. I for one have seen selfish choices of AAS & even excessive gym time cause family troubles & divorces. When we neglect those we love such as children or spouse to indulge in our pleasures, I believe we have lost sight of the goal & the reasons we started on this path. There’s nothing wrong with competing or just trying to live a healthy life or making them gains, but there’s not a greater blessing in this world than family!! 
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My personal experience is, yes its addictive. I cant tell if the chemichals directly is but the feeling on gear, the results, attention from both females and males is outstanding. It cant be compared.
I am a recovering drug addict myself, and i found it very hard to quit the AAS due to the superior feeling of greatness
AnonI've read a few members on here and many documentaries talking about losing their families by putting steroid use first in line of priorities in their life. I would classify that as addiction, all people are wired different and have and some have an addictive nature. I could never see putting a vial of oil or a tab of powder over anything especially my family. If my ol lady wanted me to stop, i would stop today without question.
Yeah some of the stories I’ve read & heard are sad & selfish. I like myself, but I like myself much better with my wife, kids& grandson!! I’m with you machine gunner, is not worth it to be alone without the ones I love.
Steroid junkies. Don't know how to train and make any gains off cycle so they just stay on a cycle.
Exactly... did you see the new guy who’s been on cycle for 2 years? SMH
IMO anything that gives a positive reward can become addictive. AAS may not be physiologically addictive like like alcohol and certain drugs, but it's use and the rewards received (with training of course) can be psychologically addictive. For example, running a cycle and getting the positive mental attitude from the Test, and then that flat, depressed feeling when off cycle can encourage a psychological addiction, which might explain why so many guys cruise all year round - afraid o drop the gear because of how they will feel. So - yes - I believe that AAS are addictive (but I have no evidence to support my assertion).
Well said Bro!
I think it depends on your personality overall. If you have a addictive personality then by sure you can become addicted. I myself suffer from a addictive personality but I don't have problems controlling my AAS usage. It sucks when you have to come off, no doubt. Of all the things I've struggled with in my life, AAS usage as been far the easiest to control. And that's coming from some who's struggled with cocaine and alcohol addictions in the past.
Area-1255Of course they can and great post!
Thanks bro!
+1
my friend. ,whats up jar ?? very true statement. my friend. , i stepped away from all the last few months you know that first hand , correct ? well the whole circle can be addicting. and its very easy to get overly involved. AS I DID , but. i took a much needed break and come back with a clear head. good post my friend.
Yes sir, I’ve had to step back several times myself Pege! There are times we need to take a break for mind, body & spirit. I’m glad you’re back my good friend & I knew you would be :-)
yes.
me to but. i need to know when to put the phone down , or computor.
my wife use to be talking to me#and im on sites. :(( xmas , thanks giving. , on on sites all day.
fuck i had nightmares about preaching adex.5 aro 12.5 bla bla bla # ##
so YES. imo. it all can become addicting. if you see me to much. CHECK ME PLEASE , my family means way to much to me.
I guess it depends on the person and your goals.
I have reached my desired weight/size and dont want more, the rest time between cycles is over and i havent juiced yet, i like the feel of being on gear, but i also remember how my blood pressure increases, dont want to gamble with my health.
Anything can become addictive. Some people masturbate too much. Some obsessively spend their lives interpreting the Bible. Some are vegan and some have a problem with carbs. In a perfect world, we would hold ourselves acoountable and keep our vices in context. A perfect world would be pretty boring though.
I think the question we should ask ourselves is do we use or abuse? I’ve personally done both, but have had a string realization of my mortality in the last few years, and while I’ll continue my journey, longevity is also a major goal.
There's some good guys on this site....positivity and being able to realise if/when you have a problem is the first step (with anything in life).
Whether it be drugs,depression,anxity you can beat it in the end
Especially when there is support like this on tap
Steriods are totally additive and definitely played a role in the demise of my family life. I went from being married and having a great family to being divorced and living in a 1br apartment in a matter of 5yrs. I got totally consummed in my AAS use and going to the gym. Nothing else mattered. And when my exwife confronted me about it i told her she was fucking crazy and if she didnt like it too bad. It wasnt until the damage to the family and relationship was done that i realized i was addicted to the gear and the results. My own selfish needs were put in front of whats really important in life. I would love to say that i learned my lesson and everything is better but its not. I still use gear constantly and my life revolves around the gym but thats only bec im alone now and dont need to consider others now. If i had to do it all again i obviously would but hindsight is 20/20....
100% correct
i was almost there , it was gear , and gym and when home i was on a site .. i never signed off because i would wake up to piss , and be on the site. , my wife would be telling me about her day. ,
and in between ,typing a reply or patrolling the forums ect. and so on. ...
yes its addicting. , but alot of ppl are looking at this as aas.only. (i can put the bottle and pin down ) its the whole circle together , the gym , the aas the sites the $$ spent ppl need look at the hole picture.
+1. my friend.
Thats exactly what happened. I got caught up in the lifestyle and lost sight of whats really important.
There was a silver lining to this cloud though. I have a gf that is cool as hell. We do everything together and she understands and accepts me for who i am. She is like the female version of me and picks me up when i fall down. She is a part of this lifestyle and competes as well. My relationship with my children is WAY better now that i see whats important. I try to make the time i have with them special for the 3 of us. I have a better job at a place that appreciates me and my talents. I made big mistakes in my life but i try my best to learn from them and not make them again.
Very true brother. Thanks for sharing.
Area-1255Yeah, too much can push you over the edge.
Thanks for sharing that. Hits home. Wish you all the best building back the relationships with your 2 children.
Thanks for sharing!! I sincerely hate to hear that brother! It’s a whirlwind that can be easily sucked into & unfortunately I’ve seen it over & over. An old proverb says pride comes before a fall, & it’s true. I’m not sure if you have kids, but I really wish the best future for you & yours & hopefully you find that median my friend.
Yes i have 2 children who mean the world to me....they are all i have left. My main goal is to gain their forgiveness and show them that they are my priority in life. I feel like i have let them down emensly, especially my son. I have not been a good role model to him as far as showing him what its like to be a real man. I work everyday towards that goal though.
That’s awesome that you see the big picture, but you can’t live with unforgivness, even when it’s yourself that you need to forgive. Regret to me is the worst pain imaginable & I’ve learned to not live with regrets, but rather to work my life in such a way that I try to avoid future regrets & I use the pain of the prior regrets as motivation. A man (or father) is not measured by your falls, but rather your recoveries. There still plenty of hope.... Carpe Diem
I’m always around if you need to vent or need some motivation Bro! Unfortunately I’ve had many life lessons, but thankfully I’ve learned from them all.
A buddhist buddy of mine told me, "forgiveness is giving up hope for a better past." Although I'm not buddhist, I think that saying is awesome.
The biggest part of forgiving yourself is committing to change. I used to drink too much. I quit. I had a hard time forgiving myself, but it was exhausting having all that self loathing built up. When I let it go, I committed to change, one day at a time, one lift at a time, one family meal at a time.
I'm happy to report that the years have been good to me because of that commitment to change. To anyone reading these comments, if you want to change your life, it's possible. Don't give up hope.
@JARHEAD2, you're a rock star, brother. Thank you for all you do to pick people up with your positivity. Your openness and candid sharing of your past has helped so many people. Whatever demons haunt you, just know that your efforts here are being heard.
@rageracing, brother, you've helped SO MANY MEN on this forum, including me when I was at my absolute lowest of lows. Your time here on this site has not been wasted. Your son will have his own battles to fight as the years pass. He'll know you're in his corner. We all fuck up. All we can do is ask for forgiveness, commit to changing whatever needs to be changed, and take it one day at a time. The years add up, and they become GOOD years. I'm rooting for you at the top of my lungs, Rage. Don't give up, fucker! You're one of the good guys.
Your a good dude. Some people just have that persona that you wanna be around them and you have that quality Zeus. I have learned to just attack life day by day and take NOTHING for granted, especially being here on this Earth. I will continue to try my best to make amends for my behavior and hopefully i will be forgiven before i leave here and then forgiven again when/if i get to the gates. God bless brother.
Rage, thank you for your kind words! Years ago, I found myself turning into a very negative person. I blamed "the world" for my negativity. When I came to the conclusion that I could simply choose to be grateful, I found myself being mindful of the effort and hard work of all the people in my life whom I love. It was initially lot of mental work to really be positive. Years and years later, it's now my default setting. I see the hard work in people, and I respect the shit out of it.
AAS knowledge is one thing. Working your balls off in a gym is another. Rage, you clearly are not afraid to push yourself, hard as hell. Much respect to you, dear brother.
Regarding our kiddos, especially our sons, I see the mistake that some fathers make as they try to force their sons to live out a life that isn't what the kid desires. For instance, "I played hockey, so my son will play hockey!" I see that shit a lot. I'm not that kind of dad. I'm guessing you aren't either. My kids are a HUGE part of my story, and I know I'm a huge part of theirs, but I'm not their story, and they aren't mine. They have to make their way, and I plan to be there every step of the way, loving on them when they fail, celebrating with them when they succeed, and basically just not being a "fun drunk" dad who mentally isn't present for the fun moments of life.
AAS is supposed to help us build strength, but I often ask men, "what's the point of being strong if you can't use that strength to help people?" I really feel that way. My approach towards AAS always has that goal in mind. Personal strength is pointless if we can't utilize it to make people's lives better.
@Rage, without knowing your specifics, I can still surmise that you have eaten your share of humble pie in your life. That stuff tastes like shit, dammit! Every time I think I have my shit together, life feeds me another slice of that stuff. The awesome part about being middle aged is that I don't have pride when it comes to asking for help, or asking for forgiveness. You clearly are in that same chapter of your own adventure. Much respect to you for your humility, and especially your desire to be a better daddy, however that role plays out. It aint easy, but we can do this, and it's always worth it. Cheers brother!
I’m not sure if it’s the Tren or y’all, but I’m feeling like crying now lol... you both our top notch dudes in my book!!
You are much appreciated bro & don’t ever stop being you my friend!! I will remember that quote & use it many times!!
Thank you, brother. You made my day. Much respect to having the strength to change what needed to be changed. It aint easy, but it's worth it!
Dunno. But I'd say 80% of dudes never come off even if they say they do.
That’s a high percentage, but prolly true!!
And of course:
https://www.eroids.com/forum/general/off-topic/how-to-tell-if-youre-addi...
Link no working.
So I bumped it to the top of OFF TOPIC.
Omg....fuckung hilarious
you forgot to add a whack at the end "/"
The dot at the end of the address (a shortcut pointing to the same directory) will be mistaken for a period unless you close it (as I have with an edit).
Thanks Greg.
Is that new ?
no, just not a common problem and one that is easily overlooked.
This had me crying laughing the first time I read it a year or 2 back.
Anything from goth or Ed has me rolling. Some funny fuckers
Another article with this one suggesting AAS can be a gateway. If it can be a gateway inpeiple without previous opioid abuse, should we not also believe that it could lead to a relapse if abuse becomes severe & we are not self disciplined & responsible? I believe it should be something that we are very aware of & something we guard against!
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200005183422018
I dunno I think that one’s a bit of a stretch. I’d never touch an opioid again and I can’t see how AAS would/could inspire someone to do so. Unless you injure yourself and are prescribed them and shit gets out of hand. But again, that’s a stretch.
Besides look where they did the study. North Jersey. They weren’t using opiates because they were using AAS. They were using both because they’re from North Jersey. Bunch of growing up gotti new haircut douchebags making us all look bad. Just sayin. Both are rampant there. Just seems like a cheap shot on AAS.
Lol... too funny man!
Yes sir that's the exact compound I spoke of in this post.Nubain was a very addictive compound that got a lot of guys hooked in the early 90's.The biggest problem with it was the belief that it wasn't addictive.Awareness is imperative when doing any drugs.It's also helps to have a community like eroids where people at least try to give good advice,rather that like you see on some other forums where everything is off the chain.My hat goes off to any of you that have beat the addictive nature of opioids.You are to be commended,so be strong.Much respect!
Yes sir! It takes a village...
Found this while researching the web just now
https://www.eroids.com/forum/general/general-talk/aas-addiction
AnonI enjoy and would say that I'm addicted to putting in a fresh pinch of Copenhagen, but dread every 3rd day while cycling, so I don't know if it's addicting or in the same category of being married. You chose to get married cause you're in love and he/she makes you feel good, supports you, gives you that extra edge of confidence but you dread every time you have to sit down and "talk".
I think yes, it can be. Like others have said it not like being addicted to dope in the sense that you get sick when you dont have it but more the mental rush from getting your products, injecting them, just everything that goes along with it.
I would be curious to see a study done on aas users who have been previously addicted to opiates or other substances compared to those who have never. I would be willing to bet those of us with a history of addiction are far more likely to find aas addictive in a sense than those who have not.
I am a recovering IV opiate addict, and because of that I was hesitant to gear up for quite some time. My lady wasn't too keen on it either.
When I felt comfortable enough I hit the gear (I had trained natty for 15 years beforehand and been clean for 2) and neither the needles or the act of putting a foreign substance in me was any kind of trigger. Quite the opposite in fact. I no longer think of dope when I see a pin, and what's more is that many of the things that I would have identified with my previous use (which was EXTENSIVE) have been re-written in my sub-conscience and I now identify with health, athleticism, self-improvement and such. I will say there IS the familiar compulsion associated with addiction when it comes to AAS use, but it is aimed in a much less desteuctive direction. In fact, I believe that most of us here have that. If we didn't, why would we punish oursleves daily while others simply live? Why would we learn to love bland repetative meals and toil over kcals while others eat whatever they like? Why would we put 1 1/2" needles in our asses 3 times a week or work a 10 site injection schedule while others watch General Hospital? It is an extreme form of lifestyle.
I know that AAS are simply a tool, but it is one that has helped me more than I would have imagined. The work has been mine to do, but this community and the knowledge that comes with it are invaluable.
Congratulations on kicking it bro!!!