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young adult child and steriods


cave canem
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Do you mean a young adult  taking illegal steroids? As in "drugs"? 

If so, I would want to know if the  person is going to quit, if there is any other illegal drug use. And if this is a first time thing. If the person has not lied about drug use in the past I might allow the person to stay if they are willing to be clean and submit to testing and undergo counseling. 

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It depends on circumstances. Including whether the steroid taking presents a danger to anyone else in the home. 

I think some “medicine” such as Prednisone is a steroid, so I assume you mean something eother than a doctor prescribed medicine. 

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Just now, Pen said:

It depends on circumstances. Including whether the steroid taking presents a danger to anyone else in the home. 

I think some “medicine” such as Prednisone is a steroid, so I assume you mean something eother than a doctor prescribed medicine. 

Yeah, I was thinking bronchitis or something and not following why it was an issue.  Illegal steroids makes more sense.  

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I don't know how I would handle it, but any illegal drugs in my home would require serious consideration about living arrangements.

Other concerns aside, I would not want the police to have any kind of probable cause to search my home and a resident of my home possessing illegal drugs would shift things too far in that direction for me to feel comfortable with it.

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Well, I take steroids daily to stay alive.  And will forever.  So I think you are talking about illegal drug use?

I don’t know much about illegal steroids - are they addictive?  How commonly does a person only use steroids?  It seems to me that once the illegal substance abuse starts, it’s rarely one substance and more likely a constellation of substances.  If it’s addictive, then you have to know that the addiction is talking when you ask questions and get answers.  So not every answer is trustworthy no matter how much you love and want to trust that person.

Whatever the answer to the above questions, I would support a young adult in our home who has a history of substance abuse with very specific boundaries.

That person would be required to be in a treatment program and therapy.  Any recommendations re: medications etc would have to be followed.  That person would be required to loosely contribute to the good of society at large either through school (to earn a degree, to get a job later), a job, or volunteering.  We called this “out of the house in the service of others” time, and required a specific number of hours per week.  No illegal substance use in the home, at all.  Some sort of contribution to the larger household should be made.  And DH and I would be in therapy as well, for support and help with supporting and helping young adult. There would also be a caveat that if younger children are negatively affected, things must change.

Hmmmm.  I wrote that mostly as a hypothetical, but I should say that I lived it. It was hard.

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I haven’t lived it but I grew up in a drug lords kind of neighborhood. I would be wary about kicking an adult child out over illegal drugs because that would mean a high chance of the child joining a drug gang to get their fix. For some families who worry about safety of other family members, halfway homes were a viable option versus kicking their relatives to the curb. 

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Well, I have no idea what I would do, but I would be worried about aggressive behavior.  

Edit:  if all behavior was acceptable, I think I would try other things than kicking out.  But I don’t know what my husband would think.  

I’m sorry this is going on with your son.  

 

Edited by Lecka
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As far as I know.... this isn’t about getting high, it’s about getting larger muscles.  

I don’t think it’s the same situation as addictive drugs.  I don’t think it’s addictive.  

I think it’s something where people really want larger muscles, or they want more effects from training.  

They might feel they need it to compete in sports, or they might want to look a certain way.

Some people might only use it while they are lifting a lot of weights, and it lets them build muscle more quickly, or more muscle than is natural for their frame.  

I think maybe you can talk to him and see what his thought process is?  Does he have a plan for how long he takes it?  Is he aware of side effects?

Good luck, I hope things go well.  

 

Edited by Lecka
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Hmmm, I honestly don't know.  Does the kid know the side effects?  Is it only about body building, or are they an athlete? Are they acting aggressive?

I'd probably say absolutely no living in my home unless they quit and submit to regular surprise drug tests, but DH might have a different opinion than me and I don't feel super strongly about it.

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11 minutes ago, Lecka said:

As far as I know.... this isn’t about getting high, it’s about getting larger muscles.  

I don’t think it’s the same situation as addictive drugs.  I don’t think it’s addictive.  

 

I agree but there is a chance of addiction and kidney/liver failure. I had steroids medication for asthma and doctors obviously monitored.

From NIH https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-adolescent-substance-use-disorder-treatment-research-based-guide/frequently-asked-questions/are-steroids-addictive-can-steroid-abuse-be-treated

“An undetermined percentage of steroid abusers may also become addicted to the drugs—that is, continuing to use them despite physical problems and negative effects on social relations—but the mechanisms causing this addiction are more complex than those for other drugs of abuse.

Steroids are not generally considered intoxicating, but animal studies have shown that chronic steroid use alters the same dopamine reward pathways in the brain that are affected by other substances. Other factors such as underlying body image problems also contribute to steroid abuse.37 Moreover, when people stop using steroids, they can experience withdrawal symptoms such as hormonal changes that produce fatigue, loss of muscle mass and sex drive, and other unpleasant physical changes. One of the more dangerous withdrawal symptoms is depression, which has led to suicide in some people discontinuing steroids.”

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I assume this is steroid use for his weightlifting passion (from previous thread)? As a side note: I don't know if DS would be open to reading these, but this article lists effects of steroids on the body and this article is about teens and steroid use for building muscle mass/weightlifting.

If a teen is wanting to use steroids (or already using them), that would suggest there are some mental health issues going on -- body obsession, for one, and probably mood swings from feeling invincible, to depression, to anger (road rage). If the DC was not yet 18yo, I'd try to seek medical evaluation and mental health help. If over 18yo, I'd still try to encourage the DC to seekhelp to try and keep from heading down a very destructive road. This article has links to resources for how to help a steroid addict.

I'm so very sorry. What a very difficult situation. Wishing you and DS all the best for a good and positive resolution. Warmest regards, Lori D.

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