People are generally misguided about the side effects more like. High testosterone levels driving people to extreme violence or suicide is a complete absurdity to anyone with a modicum of experience.
> Use of AAS in combination with alcohol largely increases the risk of violence and aggression.
> Based on the scores for acute and chronic adverse health effects, the prevalence of use, social harm and criminality, AAS were ranked among 19 illicit drugs as a group of drugs with a relatively low harm.
It's hard to get good research data on extreme abuse of illegal drugs, for obvious reasons.
There's a correlation, but it's because violent and unhinged people are more likely to take anabolics, and certain anabolics will increase aggression, it's quite simple really. Will they turn someone from completely normal into a violent psychopath? Absolutely not, that's completely absurd. You have to be very careful with "study says this!".
Alcohol has a FAR, FAR greater connection with violence, and yet most people up in arms about "roid rage" are happily sipping away apparently unaware of the irony.
I suggested that the claim that testosterone driving people to suicide or extreme violence is absurd and your attempted refutation of that was an epidemiological study showing that testosterone users are more likely to be depressed or kill themselves… I’m not ignoring it, I’m reiterating my original point which your study doesn’t even slightly refute. Maybe I’m missing something, can you elaborate on why your study shows that it is not absurd?
I apologise for being passionate about the subject, it’s just frustrating to me that the mainstream view is so out of touch with reality.
That's ironic, as most evidence-based medicine says the completely opposite. There is a clear connection between violence and exogenous testosterone use.
There is a correlation yes. Violent individuals are more likely to use anabolic steroids. The mild increase in aggression from particular compounds isn't enough to turn someone from sane to insane or psychopathic. Be careful of studies, you have to look deeper than layer 1.
Particular steroids will increase aggression, most people avoid those ones. But they won't turn you from a normal person into a complete raging psychopath, if you tried them you would see how completely ridiculous that is. With most steroids you won't notice any increase in aggression. The reason studies show a CORRELATION, is because violent, aggressive, unhinged people are more likely to take steroids. It's really that simple.
Do you drink alcohol? Because there is a FAR greater direct connection between alcohol and violence. Maybe sit on that for a bit.
The reason we have the phrase "roid rage" is sensationalist journalism. If someone commits a crime and they happen to take steroids it's automatically labelled as "roid rage". Think about this.
If you were experienced with steroids or knew many steroid users you would absolutely not hold this opinion, I guarantee it.