Steroids have been in the media spotlight in recent months. The murder-suicide of the popular wrestler Chris Benoit was attributed to steroid use. Much debate has ensued since then regarding the culpability of the drug in the tragic incident. And many have wondered about the likelihood that steroid use could have caused such volatile actions.
Steroids are used by the medical community to treat certain conditions. Body wasting in AIDS patients and production of substantially low amounts of testosterone are the conditions most commonly treated with steroids. Because steroids are used for medical treatment people contemplating using the drug to enhance performance or increase body mass are under the mistaken presumption that steroid use is safe. In reality, the doses of steroids prescribed to patients by doctors are up to 100 times lower than doses consumed by illegal users.
Research on steroids has shown the use of the drug for performance and appearance enhancement cause significant side effects. Some of the side effects are severe and can cause irreversible damage to the mind and body. Among the risks are heart attacks, strokes, liver tumors, kidney failure, the stunting of growth in adolescents, and masculine characteristics in women.
The psychiatric impact of steroid use results are debilitating and damaging. The known side effects include mood swings, depression, and uncontrolled rage. It was the prolonged use of steroids that most experts believe caused Chris Benoit’s break down and subsequent homicidal actions. Any of the psychological effects listed above, if severe enough, would have caused the wrestler’s actions.