There are tons of stickies on forums and great articles all over the web on the physical aspects and risks of taking steroids, but i feel that there is another aspect to steroids which ist really presented to newbies and beginners as much as it should be:

Steroids are addictive!

Maybe they aren't chemically addictive like nicotine. However, psychologically they will hook you and change who you are as a person. I have seen it happen to people I know, people online whom I don't know, and I am experiencing it myself right now. 

Why are steroids addictive? 

You can literally take your pick of reasons why steroids are addictive, there are many. For me it is basically ego, confidence, and performance enhancement. 

As most people know when you are on cycle you have a sense of well being and a perceived ability to handle just about anything (something that I believe derives from your increased performance in the gym). Combine that with the fact that you are likely the biggest guy in the room and you end up with one hell of a confidence boost. I won't lie either, it is a good feeling and people do take notice.

In the gym you find that every week your performance improves in leaps and bounds, more and more plates going on the bar, and you move further and further down the dumbbell rack. I firmly believe in leaving your ego in the change room when it comes to working out, there is no point in lifting improperly and beyond your limits, but it is undeniable that there is a sense of self satisfaction when your poundage keeps going up. 

However, I think the most addictive aspect of using (at least for me) is the ego boost. Let me present to you a few situations I find myself in at times: 

• Girls on the MTR take my picture when they think i am not looking 
• Girls grab their boyfriends/husbands when they see me and point me out... then ask why the hell is your body skinny/fat/shit while grabbing at his girly arms
• I have had a hooker in a brothel ask to come back to my place after she got off duty for more sex (relax, I live in Hong Kong, whoring is cool here) 
• Guys in the gym checking you out, saying "fuuuuk" as you walk by (no homo) 
• Random people commenting on how fit you are 
• Always being known as the fit guy amongst your friends and coworkers

If this doesn't boost your ego, nothing will. Everyone wants to be special in one way or another and stand out from the crowd... whether you admit to it or not. That's  why when you go out you check yourself in the mirror, make sure your looking tight before anyone sees you. For bodybuilders we use our body to stand out from the crowd, but the difference with us is that relatively few people actually subject themselves to the rigors we go through. As the great RC said; "everyone wants to be a bodybuilder but no one wants to lift heavy ass weights".

So, great! Sticking drugs in my ass everyday makes me awesome... I'll take 10 more vials please!   

The Downside 

There is a very serious downside to all this i believe (aside from physical health risks). In a way you psychologically become dependent on steroids to function. Ever had a great cycle where you gained a ton of weight, had veins crisscrossing all over your body? How did you feel when you came off and your body fat jumped up a few percent and you lost 15kg? If you have never done a cycle i can tell you that it feels like shit! You become almost embarrassed to be seen because you no longer have that image that you worked so hard to achieve. So what do you do? You start stacking more and more, spreading cycles out to to 20 weeks, perhaps even start cruising, which is where I seem to be headed. In a way the more cycles you do, the more you become that artificial person, thus changing who you originally were.

Dont get me wrong though, i am not knocking steroids or anyone who uses them... As you can tell above i am having a great time on them. I just want to remind people and especially let the newbies know that aside from the health risks, there are also some serious mental health aspects you need to think about as well, and how it affects your friends and loved ones, because i can assure you that they will notice these changes in you and that standard "i'm on a new diet" excuse wont cut it when they see these changes.

The overall unknown question for me personally is how do i end it all, if i wanted to? And in the end i think that is a question you really need to think about before getting serious in this world.