Anabolic Steroids & The Depression Connection

By: Mark J. Occhipinti, M.S., Ph.D., N.D.c Exercise Physiologist

Testosterone is thought to be the root of male aggression. Above average levels of testosterone have been observed in incarcerated violent criminals and in athletes engaged in semi-violent sports such as: football, lacross, ice hockey. The term "roid rage" has been applied to the explosive and often irrational behavior seen in men and women who use steroids on a regular basis. Many marriages and friendships have fallen on hard times as a result of the severe mood swings experienced by steroid users. The irritability experienced by males and females on anabolic/androgenic steroids is paralleled by a condition that millions of women each month endure, commonly known as premenstrual tension syndrome. Anabolic steroids, however, also have the opposite psychological effect in many abusers. That is, they act as potent mood elevators thereby mimicing the effects that are experienced when using anti-depressant drugs. When steroid use is stopped, a period of estrogen rebound is experienced. The greater the dosage and longer the duration of the cycle, the more severe the estrogen is produced. With this cycle of increased estrogen the male experiences a loss of euphoria that is replaced by a deep depression and this factor alone is enough to send the psychologically crippled individual scrambling back to their steroid addiction. Androgenic steroids, both oral and injectable, have been found to cause changes in brain wave activity similar to those observed with stimulants and anti-depressants.

A real and ever growing concern of many doctors is the mounting evidence that anabolic steroids cause severe and sometimes permanent mental disorders. Many athletes become paranoid and unreasonable and to quote Steve Michalik, "unrealistic manic's". Steroids have been found to be extremely addictive, and can lead to a progression of higher dosages and more exotic combinations. How steroids affect the brain has up until recently been a relative mystery to the medical community. The brain functions on a delicate balance that allows nutrients to pass through or across the blood brain barrier where essential fatty acids, and amino acids, notably: tryptophan, tyrosine, taurine, phenylalanine and glutamine can have a direct effect on the brain. During a steroid cycle many essential amino acids that are targeted for the brain that assist in the formation of neuro-transmitters (epinephrine and norepinephrine, serotonin and cholecystokinin) are inhibited or blocked totally.

These critically important neurotransmitters are interfered with as a result of the increased ammonia and urea levels in the blood stream, which is a direct result of anabolic steroid use. Additionally, the athlete is eating more protein, training at a higher level of intensity which leads to an increased breakdown of bodily proteins. What you have now in the body is literally a metabolic traffic jam of proteins and amino acids that are circulating in the blood stream, competing for absorption with other amino acids, for the limited number of sites in the body. As a result, necessary amino acids are blocked from their metabolic destination and the neurotransmitters cannot be manufactured in the amount the body needs to maintain psychological homeostatis. The result: the steroid rage that is often noticed, as well as wide swings in mood from severe depression to euphoria. In the first ever published study done solely on the psychological effects caused by anabolic steroids,

Article published in Sport magazine

Doctor Ritchi Morris, a New York based sports psychologits found some startling revelations. He studied a group of 16 athletes (elite bodybuilders and professional football players) who used anabolic steroids on a regular bases. Dr. Morris found a tie between steroid use and a depression syndrome commounly found among alcoholics and cocaine users. Additionally, Dr. Morris found that all the athletes experienced significant depression during their off cycles.

Several in the study developed a psychological dependency, choosing to use steroids year round rather than face the depression and negative self-image that many times is associated in down cycles. Conversely, Dr. Morris's ontrol group demonstrated a mo no mood swings between peak and off training periods. A few members of the control group actually said they felt better when they were in a more relaxed maintenance cycle because they had more time to spend in other of life's endeavor's. In all cases of the study, the natural athlete's confidence level remained at a near constant high, while the steroid users confidence rose , and fell regularly.

Dr. Morris who has a large practice in the White Plains, New York area, and is himself an elite class powerlifter "They come off the stuf (sterotds) and watch themselves deflate like a balloon with a slow leak. They cannot lift that 450 pounds anymore. Their bodies begin to go back to what they were." he states,

In reality, the athletes bodies are never the same again and damages done are permanent, and in this instance the central nervous system.

Already mentioned was the increased levels of ammonia and urea that are held during a cycle that will reach toxic levels and can have certain long term effects in the steroid user. It has been found, the more exotic stacking of steroids and the higher the dosages, the more noticeable and severe the symptoms. Just the psychological effects of a man who has developed gynocomastia, which must be removed surgically or the atrophy of his testicles, which can be permanent, can be enough to set these individuals into a state of paranoia. women athletes do not escape the psychological side effects by any stretch of the imagination. What women would not fret over increased facial hair, an enlarged clitoris and increased body odor as we as well as deepening of the voice. Morris concludes his study by stating that all subjects on steroid cycles experience some level of paranoia wth doubts about friendships and personal relationships that occured during periods of lowered self-image

Dr. John Lombardo of the Cleveland Clinic, a co-author of the American College of Sports Medicine position paper on steroids states: "These people have a strong sense of well-being and how they look and feel, and steroids give them a tremendous up." Other researchers have found similar findings. Doctor's Harrison Pope, Jr. at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts and David Katz of Harvard Medical School report that anabolic/androgenic Steroid use leads to psychological disturbances. Clinical as well as anecdotal evidence have found that many times the drugs lead to unusually aggressive and irritable behavior. These doctors interviewed over 40 bodybuilders and football players that admitted using steroids. Almost half of those interviewed reported maniac and near maniac behavior during their cycles. The most common symptoms were hyperactivity and inflated self-esteem, which increased their drive to train harder in their work-outs. Dr. Katz reported one bodybuilder who, convinced of his own immortality deliberately drove his new 20,000 sports car into a tree at 40 miles per hour while a friend videotaped him. Several other subjects experienced severe psychotic behavior during their steroid cycles. One had hallucinations, while another became paranoid and believed that his friends were stealing from him. These episodes stopped when the drugs stopped. Dr. Katz believes the way myself and Dr. Morris do, with regard to the effects of steroids on the brain and the fact that neuro-transmitters in the brain are depleted and short-circuited by steroid use.

THE SOLUTION:
The obvious answer would be to discontinue using steroids but for many athletes that is not a viable alternative at this time. What about the athlete who reads this article who continues on a cycle but really could use a mental boost or a calming effect. Or is psychologically hooked and would like to quit. The system is two-fold. First, a gradual tapering off of the anabolic steroids is essential to avoid "anabolic shock", which I call the phenomenon when the use of steroids are abruptly discontinued
after a o to 12 week or longer cycle The body, in an effort to bring internal systems back to normal, puts out estrogen in higher than normal amounts (estrogen rebound) which causes deep depression and strength losses. "Tapering", has been found to help minimize these effects to some degree and prepare the body to begin to kick it's systems back in. Secondly, the need to restore the neurotransmitters to their normal functioning state is of upmost importance in the current and former steroid user. This can be accomplished by using three nutrients as follows:
A) The active form of B-6 (Pyriodoxal 5 Phospate), 20 mgs. per caplet, 2 caplets 30 minutes before breakfast,
2 caplets mid-morning and 2 caplets prior to retiring.
B) The amino acid L-Tyrosine, 800 mgs. per capsule, 2-3 capsules 30 minutes prior to breakfast and 2-3 capsules mid-morning. *It is important to remember not to take Tyrosine with food and before noon. Why? Because the bodies natural levels are highest in the morning. This will act as a pre-cursor to the neuro-trams mitters epinephrine and norepinephrine which have been depleted with steroid usage. C) Lastly, the amino acid L-Tryptophan, 500 mgs. capsule, 2 early evening (after training) and 2-3 capsules before retiring.
Tryptophan is the pre-cursor to the neuro-transmitter serotonin that assists us in relaxing and falling to sleep.
In the next article I will explore the latest rage of steroid replacements and truly remarkable group of products that have been found to raise testosterone levels naturally and without side effects! Imagine the implications of this breakthrough.