Chris Benoit: Was Roid Rage to Blame?

it may unmask an underlying
psychiatric disorder that has been basically kept in check until the individual
is exposed to this category of drugs. And so what you may be seeing is unmasked
psychiatric disorder.

Are there some people who may be particularly vulnerable?

I don't know if that's been studied, but certainly, I would be concerned
about those who are on steroids for a long time on a high dose. There seems to
be some correlation that the higher the dose, the greater the likelihood of
having roid rage.

What is the difference between anabolic and corticosteroids?

The way I like to say it is it's the difference between John Smith and Mary
Smith. They're both Smiths, but they couldn't be more different.

Anabolic steroids mean steroids that build muscle, retain protein, and
corticosteroids are so-called catabolic. They break down tissue. They're
basically used for anti-inflammatory effects. People on corticosteroids for any
length of time, you'll see them actually get muscle weakness. Their body will
go through changes which are quite the opposite of what you see with anabolic
steroids.

I don't believe that the shorthand-word "steroids" should ever be
used because the public has been confused, and many people who are taking
corticosteroids for a variety of medical illnesses are of the belief that
they're going to get all these horrible side effects that people talk about in
terms of anabolic steroids.

So people who are taking corticosteroids for legitimate medical reasons like asthma or arthritis -- they have no need to be concerned?

Corticosteroids have a lot of side effects, but they're not the side effects
we see with anabolic steroids. They have their own unique set of side
effects.

Aren't there some people who experience temperament changes while they're on corticosteroids?

They can be irritable. They can have difficulty sleeping, for example.

But that's not the same?

No, it's entirely different.

Are there any valid reasons for people to be taking anabolic steroids?

Well, there were many reasons. Most of those reasons diminished [with the
development of] better drugs.

If someone is experiencing more rage while they're taking anabolic steroids, is there treatment for it?

If somebody is experiencing that, chances are they are using it for illicit
purposes. So they've got to get themselves in the hands of a psychiatrist. And
you have to be careful, because if you suddenly stop anabolic steroids, it can
precipitate a profound depression.

Are there signs that parents or coaches should keep in mind -- signs that a child, an athlete, may be using steroids?

One is change in musculature. Secondly, excessive acne. Third, irritability.
Fourth, obsessing over muscle mass ... becoming obsessed with the gym. Those
would be sort of some of them. It's basically a change in personality, an
obsession with your body and putting on muscle and increasing lean body mass,
[excessive] use of dietary supplements, obsessing over web sites that are
directed towards body building.

It's a little bit of a complicated question. If you talk about a [male]
teenager, you have to distinguish between a normal adolescence, which is
heralded by a surge in testosterone.

If it's a difficult adolescence [in someone] who is not on anabolic
steroids, they have a lot of acne, may be very irritable and may get many of
the kinds of things we associate with anabolic steroids. Except in that case,
the steroids are coming from his own testicles.

So it's a difficult thing for parents. They may overlook the abuse of
anabolic steroids, or conversely, they may take [someone] who's not on anabolic
steroids and assert that they are and lose the confidene of their kid.

How young does some of this use begin?

We know that as many as 1.5% to 2% of eighth graders have used anabolic
steroids at least once in their life, and between 3% and 4% of 12th graders
have used anabolic steroids at least once in their life.

There are estimates that between half a million and a million youngsters
have used anabolic steroids.

Is it very easy for them to get it?

Particularly with the Internet, it's alarmingly so. And it also has much of
the dynamics of other forms of drug dealing. They're not philanthropists
handing out steroids.

What else would you want to add, either about roid rage or anabolic steroid use?

My concern is that it's a silent epidemic. [With drugs such as heroin and
cocaine], you see people who don't look well, are losing weight, they're not
concerned about their body. [People using anabolic steroids] look well, they're
putting on muscle mass, they're more assertive, and so people don't think that
this could be the product of illicit drug use.

People have to be aware that this is a very dangerous behavior. We have to
make -- particularly parents and physicians -- aware of this silent
epidemic.

By Miranda Hitti
Reviewed by Louise Chang
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