 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
06/04/09
Nearly everyone, at one time or another, has witnessed a muscular person displaying an emotional outburst in some situation, and murmured “Roid rage…” it’s commonly believed that steroids cause uncontrolled aggression and emotions in users. Is this true? Let’s look at the medical and real-life points of view regarding this occurrence.
Has “roid rage” been documented in medical circles, and in the legal sense? Yes and no. Increased testosterone levels do lead to increased aggression. In some cases, people who are on steroids will do things they wouldn’t normally do, since their aggression is chemically a bit higher. Now, has the term been medically documented? Does it exist to a certainty, as documented by the medical community? The answer is no. There is no absolute behavior that is elicited through the increase of testosterone in the body. Are people more likely to behave in a certain manner? Sure. However, no actual cause/effect model exists, and therefore the term ‘roid rage’ is a fallacy - in the medical sense.
In the real-world sense, we see roid rage every day. When bodybuilders and powerlifters throw around weights in the gym, start fights in traffic, and perform at a higher intensity than they ever could without the use of anabolic steroids, then yes, they are exhibiting a level of aggressiveness (read: rage) not possible without chemical assistance. However, this is controllable. We may possess greater urges and desires, but the choice to act upon them is still just that – a choice.
The answer to the question “Is roid rage real” is simply… “Sometimes.” If you already possess a dangerous level of rage and anger, then increasing testosterone levels may make these levels rise. The more testosterone you are using (particularly if you flirt with going above 1000 mg per week), the higher your chance of exceedingly aggressive behaviors. The actions of human beings are heavily influenced by the chemicals in our brains – and without a doubt, high doses of testosterone do change our brain chemicals. However, scientifically, there is no causation, and therefore it cannot be used as a defense for certain actions.
We all have bad days. People using artificial testosterone may reach their boiling point a tad faster than they normally would due to the levels of chemicals in their blood. However, they are also able to control their actions. There has never been a single proven case of an individual completely unable to control his or her behavior due to the use of anabolic steroids. Rather, individuals have chosen to act in a certain way, and then used their use of steroids as a defense for their actions, whether it be explaining to a police officer why they smashed another person’s car, or to their girlfriend why they shoved her. “Roid rage” exists in the sense that people are a bit more aggressive by nature with the presence of artificial hormones in their body. However, it is perpetuated by people who use it as a defense for their illegal or unacceptable actions.
