Is âRoid Rageâ Real & What Are the Causes of It -
01dragonslayer - 02-16-2019
Something we could maybe all relate to.....
Roid rage is a widely heard term whenever the topic of steroids comes up. But is it even a thing? And if it is, what is behind this so called âroid rageâ? In this article, youâll get the key information and background about this phenomenon.
What Does âRoid Rageâ Refer to
The phrase âroid rageâ refers to the aggressive behavior that is sometimes seen in people who are using steroids. The stereotypical image is one of a bulky bodybuilder injecting a steroid and then suddenly bursting out into a fit of rage.
Roid rage because of steroid use
However, as with all stereotypes, that image is not totally accurate. There is a risk of increased aggression among steroid users but it is not nearly as instantaneous or out of control as it is made to seem.
And some users are prone to extreme aggression than others. There are a lot of factors that go into it so itâs not as straightforward as it is made to appear.
What Causes Aggression in Steroid Users
So if aggressive behavior can occur in steroid users, why does it happen? Well, the answer lies in the testosterone hormone. Testosterone is naturally found in all humans. Its job is to trigger muscle growth, maintain energy levels, and increase sex drive among others.
Testosterone enanthate can cause aggression as a side effect
It also increases strength and encourages competitive behaviorâfor the sake of sexual reproduction. Even in the natural amounts found in men who do not use steroids at all, testosteroneâs effects can already be strong enough to cause aggressive behavior.
Youâve probably met people in your life who seem to have anger problems or who are quick to aggression when they feel threatened or offended. This is (partly) being caused by testosterone.
So in steroid users, testosterone levels are being boosted higher than they normally are. This can have the effect of increasing aggressive behavior because thatâs one of the things that testosterone does.
However, itâs important to understand that steroids will not turn every person into an uncontrollable rage machine. If someone has issues with aggression already before starting steroids, the chances of violent outbursts is very high but in the average user who is more even tempered, the aggressive effects will most likely be milder and may only turn out to be increased motivation to workout.
Channeling roid rage during workout
Basically, if youâre angry before you start using steroids, youâll be even angrier after. And if youâre calm and even tempered before steroids, youâll most likely just feel an intense urge to work out or otherwise use up the energy building up in you.
With that said, there have been cases where otherwise even tempered people start using steroids and find they are having aggressive outbursts that could be called âroid rageâ even though they arenât normally angry or aggressive otherwise.
How Can I Manage Aggression While Using Steroids
If you are worried that excess aggression from steroid use could be a problem in your case, there are some things you can do to minimize and manage the effects. Try out these tips to keep you calm, cool, and collected during steroid cycles:
Managing side effects of anger and rage
Nip it in the bud. If you feel the anger rising rapidly and are about to lose control, stop everything, close your eyes, and breathe. If necessary, just leave the situation thatâs triggering the situation. Go outside and take a walk. If you can stop an outburst before it happens, the urge will pass and youâll return to normal.
Take it out in your work out. If you find yourself getting angry, letting that energy out in the form of exercise can help calm you down. When an outburst is on the way, it can feel like you have all this energy in you that needs to explode out. Channel that into a workout that not only prevents you from a rage outburst but helps you achieve your gain goals!
If your immediate urge is to yell and punch something (or someone), take a step back and try to express what is bothering you in full sentences. Try to keep perspective as much as possible by realizing that, considering the circumstances, you MIGHT be overreacting. So express yourself in full sentences, using your indoor voice. And then quietly listen when the other person expresses their side. And really listen. Instead of picking apart why you disagree with it, try to figure out why the person might have a different view of the situation than you.
If these sound like strategies for controlling everyday anger problems (steroid caused or not), thatâs because they are. The trick with dealing with aggression, no matter what might be causing it, is to try and keep perspective and stay calm even when you feel it boiling up.
Aggression Outbursts during steroid cycle
If you feel like itâs becoming a very serious problem and interfering with your daily life, consider taking a break from steroids for a while and practicing these aggression management techniques while youâre off them. Then, once youâve gotten better at them, you can try steroids again and see if youâve gotten better at managing the problem then.
Final Word
In the end, whether or not you experience something like âroid rageâ while using steroids will depend on you. If you struggle with anger problems as it is, the chances that steroids will make that problem worse is pretty high. But if you are pretty even tempered as it is, youâll have an easier time dealing with this side effect.