How My Depression Became A Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder or manic depression is not a psychological condition but a medical disorder where the brain is unable to maintain a peaceful and steady mood.

People suffering from this disorder have varied states of intense emotions along with episodes of sadness and low energy which is not intentional and cannot be controlled. There are symptoms of severe mood swings which might last for a very short period or might take even years.

Different from depressive disorders due to presence of manic episodes (mania) along with episodes of depression. Usually people suffer from only depression and when this depression is combined with mania, he or she is considered to have bipolar disorder.

When the symptoms of both mania and depression occur concurrently, these periods are called mixed episodes which cause irritability or explosiveness without any specific pattern along with periods of normal behavior with high productivity and creativity especially among children.

Difference between bipolar disorder and depression

It is a complex illness which is caused due to complex genetic and environmental factors. It worsens over a period of time if not treated effectively. There have been cases of substance abuse, school failure, incarceration, accidents, and suicide due to this disorder. It can be managed effectively if proper treatment is administered along with environmental adjustments.

There is no scientific proof that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance. People who are unable to deal with stress, anxiety or sadness or are over sensitive and emotional vulnerable are likely to have depression. Also they might feel helpless and hopeless with life.

The biochemical theory behind depression is related to the consequence of an array of stressors on specific genes which change the production of proteins necessary for mood mechanism in the brain which is unrelated to a chemical imbalance.

Depression is experienced by all from time to time which might sometimes help in dealing with problems whereas in clinical depression or bipolar disorder, the feeling of depression is severe.

The period of depression lasts for a prolonged period and at times it becomes so severe that is difficult or impossible to lead a normal life.

Differences between Bipolar Disorder and Other Mood Disorders

Bipolar mood disorder is often confused with various other mood and personality disorders especially schizophrenia due to its psychotic episodes leading to its wrong diagnosis.

Depression does occur in bipolar disorder but people suffering from severe depression will not have episodes of mania and depression either occurring simultaneously or alternating.

The Downfalls of Prescription Drugs in Panic Attacks Treatment

Perhaps you are reading this because you're someone who suffers knee bumping, rapid breathing, heart palpating random panic attacks. I hurt for you as I used to hurt for myself when I perceived the spawning of these symptoms from my core. Sometimes, I was able to just breathe through them and all would quiet in a short time, but other times, I landed in the emergency room of my local hospital. I felt like prey as I rarely knew what was going to bring them on.

I was offered a variety of treatments for my ailments. Once, in my teens, I suffered tunnel vision and the most handsome of interns held my hand and asked me to talk about all of what was "stressing" me out in my life. I'm not sure if it was just the fact that I was conveying my suffering or the fact that I desperately wanted to see all of his unshaven, handsome face that my vision organically began to materialize again into all the corners of my limited perception.

My own very sweet General Practitioner suggested I go see a "counsellor" through her own tear stained face after hearing my desperate pleas to help me to address the anxiety and fear I was facing more and more daily. I was a tender 25 years of age. She suggested this route before I might qualify for prescription for anxiety-suppressing meds. The outcome was not favorable as the "counsellor" appeared quite confused and lacked character structure and actually appeared to need way more help than I did.

Some little light within me fought to seek a solution that was lasting, permanent and natural. Knowing that I was up against my own mother's diagnosis of schizophrenia, manic depression and her eventual suicide when I was eight years of age did not help either. As time went on, I was beginning to feel that I was on the brink of "losing my own mind" and the anxiety attacks just brought me closer to this terror. Hourly, I was feeling an inner terror that pricked at the base of my spine. The anxiety episodes began to escalate. I had to solve this.

If you are also suffering a similar plight, it is important to consider all your options before taking the plunge into medication or even meditation. I'm a results-based kind of person and if I'm going to pursue a modality of treatment, I need to know what is going to work, why and what are the potential risks and side effects. I'm going to share what I found with you so that you can also wholly weigh the consequences. By the way, I did solve my panic attacks long-term and haven't had nary a one in over 20 years. I'm 46 as I pen this. Thankfully, even though I know I was a pretty advanced case needing panic attacks treatment, I was able to resolve it naturally.

I'm going to begin, though, offering you the pluses and minuses of drugs prescribed for Panic Attacks. The unfortunate part is that chemical protocol is not curative, but suppressive, and increases your chronic condition. Most folks know this, because as soon as you take the meds away, the symptoms reemerge back in plain view. Drugs can be helpful, short-term, if you just need to gather your perspective to figure out how you want to address your symptoms for the long-term. They can provide you with the illusion of a clearer head, which can be mighty helpful in the present, but as a mechanism of management, you may be dealing with some very unwanted side effects.

Some of the deleterious side effects you may want to consider will include liver, kidney and lymph toxicity. The other thing to realize is that on these drugs you may not have access to the e-motions that you do love in yourself. I've had individuals tell me that while on their meds. they could no longer feel the emotions of the characters in a movie or wholly empathize with their daughter's break-up with her boyfriend. Often folks on anxiety drugs feel "flat-lined" emotionally and this can leave a person feeling short-changed in the sphere of their life. Unable to wholly penetrate into the realm of sympathetic or empathetic impressions.

My own grandmother, yes, on my Mom's side, sadly lived on tranquilizers long-term. Her vacant eyes and empty "yes, dear" as an answer to every provocation was frankly pathetic. I despised her for not having the courage to face the root of her ills and I avoided her at all cost as it was like being engaged with a "hollow" woman. I often had the impulse to just scream at her to see if I could wake her from her living coma. There was no real person to connect with and to me she died years before her physical body succumbed.

Most folks don't know this, but the Pharmaceutical companies have been using the same tranquilizers and benzodiazepines for years. The chief ones available to us modern folk are:

• Xanax (alprazolam)


• Klonopin (clonazepam)


• Valium (diazepam)


• Ativan (lorazepam)

While they are fast-acting, bringing calm or "relief" within about thirty minutes to an hour after taking them, there are longer-term drawbacks that aren't usually spelled out for you in the Doctor's office. The calming effect first realized can precipitate a numbing quality, as I've mentioned, especially over time. Other unwanted side-effects can include drowsiness, fogginess, and lack of co-ordination. Folks will often justify they're very low doses, but even micro doses of benzodiazepines, can cause problems with work, school, or everyday activities such as driving. Some individuals will report a medication hangover the next day which can effect your motivation and zest for life.

Depending on the individual, some will cite a "sped-up" feeling or worsened anxiety state precipitating mania, impulsiveness, hallucinations, hostility, rage and even panic attacks themselves which is the opposite outcome the patient is seeking. Over time, the medication can build up in the system, if proper detoxification is not employed, causing the patient to feel like they are permanently inebriated.

Look for these common side effects of benzodiazepines or tranquilizers and work with your Doctor to adjust dosage or switch the type of medication until these symptoms are more minimal:

• Drowsiness


• Lack of energy


• Clumsiness


• Slow reflexes


• Slurred speech


• Confusion and disorientation


• Depression Dizziness


• Light-headedness Impaired thinking and judgement Memory loss, forgetfulness Nausea, stomach upset Blurred or double vision

Benzodiazepines are also associated with depression. You will need to watch for longer-term benzodiazepine side effects like suicidal feelings. The feeling of being disconnected from spouse, children and parents can worsen over time and sadly affect relationships on a long-term basis. My mother and grandmother were a testament of this for me.

If you do choose the chemical drug route, it is imperative that anti-anxiety medication not be combined with any other drugs. Also, an overdose can be fatal when taken in large doses or combined with any other central nervous system depressants. Taking anti-anxiety medication with alcohol, prescription painkillers, or sleeping pills can be deadly. Dangerous drug interactions can also occur when anti-anxiety drugs are taken with antihistamines, which are found in many over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines. Keep in mind that Anti-depressants such as Prozac and Zoloft can also heighten their toxicity.

If you have a little breathing room and your panic attacks are not bearing down on you like waves of labor. You might take a look at more natural ways of coping with your condition. This was the route I began with myself, and it helped immensley. Although, my more advanced symptoms did eventually propel me into the realm of principled, natural medicine, I went this route of regimen practices first as the drug protocols scared me more. As you can imagine, I was willing to try just about anything to avoid my grandmother and mother's fates. Living shut down, numbed-out on prescription drugs or suicidal were not viable options for me. I needed to solve this outright.

Some of the viable non-drug panic attacks treatment options available can begin with psycho-dynamics including cognitive-behavioral therapy, for example. I used a system called Heilkunst Medicine (the whole art of healing and curing) to resolve my own ills which organizes all treatments into three jurisdictions starting with a foundation in diet and lifestyle changes, followed by homeopathic medicine and then cognitive-behavioral therapies to address the core fears and belief structures. Not all of their practitioners practice all three of these jurisdictions, but I'm happy to help you find one if you feel you need. The first jurisdiction of Heilkunst treatment encourages regular exercise, adequate sleep, a healthier diet, improving your relationships and a thorough detoxification. Often folks find that by adding a regular protocol of oils, minerals, greens and eliminating grains from their diet, alone, can have cathartic effects on their panic attacks. Resolving spikes in sugar and a lack of adequate nutrition with whole food supplementation can go along way to help quiet potential anxious moments.

Live Blood analysis by an excellent practitioner can also help source out the cause of your panic attacks by indicating heavy metal toxicity and discerning if you're actually absorbing your water. Water has the function of expanding the cell, just as your organism is trying to be expanded by the anxiety. If each cell is armored and encased in salt, so is your overall organism. When the anxiety erupts, it will push up uncomfortably against your armored cells causing a tension in your body that produces the sweating, heart palpatations and the general quickening as if you're going to explode.

Your anxiety is just trying to "expand" you and dissolve your armoring. It just goes about it with much suffering and debilitating affects. Sadly, nature can be kind of crude in her manner of attempting to resolve things on your behalf. If you provide her with sound, logical tools, such as homeopathic medicines, which are based on the curative law of nature "like cures like", and pursue cognitive therapies including character analysis, and biofeedback, you can really uproot the cause of your anxiety and address it with treatment protocols that work and resolve your issues long-term without side-effects just as I did.

I've found that it really isn't about suppressing or repressing your anxiety at all. It is more about solving the overflow and then converting and channelling the power of those e-motions (= "energy in motion") into a means where they wholly serve you through knowledge, creativity, and inspiration. In the end, you will own a whole lot more consciousness and a milieu of feelings and life impressions that enrich your life, not dumb it down.

How to Overcome Depression - Inspirational & For Reflection

The Spiritual Teachings are wellsprings that bring consolation, recognition, serenity, moderation and peace. They are not a prescription or pretend to replace medical help and special attention but they truly are capable of contributing something extraordinary and wonderful, that all the sciences of the world have not been able to know, understand and appreciate. And this is because they have wisdom, which is greater than all sciences. Wisdom, which also knows all arts, all foundations and principles of life.

And this spiritual science knows that man is more than what the senses reveal. Man is not only flesh and bones, thoughts and feelings. Man has a spiritual foundation, an extraordinary and wonderful worth. This is because he has inner light, which truly shines more than the sun. This light will help us, with certainty, to overcome any depression, no matter how dark can be, since in the depth of man, the Love of God lives.

Depression, may pretend to suffocate or burn us with its scorching embrace but there is a superior Love, who can rescue us. The path always is prayer, where we will find refuge, serenity and transformation. And what was hurting will not hurt any more because there is an inner foundation, who always rescues and brings inner peace.

Even though, man may be facing paths of desperation and chaos, if he really wants to change with sincerity and with all his heart, then, God will not abandon him, on the contrary, God will exalt him and will bring him out of the fog and will nourish him with His presence. God will strengthen him and will bring light to his life, peace to his heart and will make him prosper, because God is true. It is very certain that every one who looks for God and knows Him, will overcome the obstacles, the confusion and depression.

God is true. He is peace, joy and Love. Keep this in your heart and live in the name of God. And your life will be as a garden full of flowers, in which you will have banished and transcended depression.

Managing Anxiety and Depression

If you have ever experienced a panic attack, or, an episode of clinical depression - you could hardly be faulted for wanting and seeking a final and everlasting "cure." Some people who experience these conditions never have a recurrence. For others, anxiety and depression are persistent intruders in their lives. Why the difference? Likely, genetics predispose some of us to anxiety or depressive reactions as a response to situational stressors in our life. But that does NOT mean any of us are entirely helpless. Depression and anxiety are most often manageable.

Powerlessness: Beliefs, Behaviors, & Feelings

A key component to anxiety and depression are feelings of powerlessness. Perhaps some life stressor or loss has temporarily overwhelmed or discouraged you. Or, perhaps over time you have developed ineffective cognitive habits - styles of thinking - that promote your giving up power. These "distorted beliefs" lead us to have "distorted feelings" and "distorted behaviors". For example:

Suzy Somebody held and reinforced over time the distorted belief that "No one would be interested in someone like me." This distorted and powerless belief led her to behave by isolating herself from others. Her isolative behavior and belief that no one was interested in her, led to predictable feelings of loneliness. Then, looking at how lonely she felt and isolated she behaved - she reinforced the powerless belief that, sure enough, "See there! I told you no one was interested in someone like me!" And the spiraling cycle of powerlessness was complete and reinforcing.

It is much easier to change the way we think and behave than how we feel. The good news is, if we can change the way we think (correcting distorted thinking) and behave (powerless behaviors), then most often what we get is a resultant change in how we feel (for the better!). This is why cognitive-behavioral therapy is the treatment of choice for anxiety and depression and why empowering clients is so important.

People often think of depression or anxiety as a function of low self-esteem. Actually and more precisely, depression and anxiety are made worse by low self-efficacy. What is self-efficacy? Self-efficacy is the belief that I have a sufficient measure of control and power over my life.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is an important tool in identifying ways we might be lowering our sense of self-efficacy, giving up power and control, and thereby encountering depression and anxiety as a persistent companion in our lives.

Tools for Managing Depression & Anxiety

Fortunately, we have many tools at our disposal for managing anxiety and depression. These include:
Medications which help treat the biological basis of depression.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - changing the way we think and behave in order to increase our self-efficacy.
Building supportive social networks of friends and activities.
Increasing self-care habits to help us weather the storms of life.

Combating Depression By Building Self-Confidence

One of the main causes of depression is a lack of self-confidence. When we no longer believe in ourselves, we begin to fall into a pit of depression and anxiety. This is a Pastor's take on building self-confidence.

On one hand, we are all filled with some degree of insecurity. For most people, looking into the mirror is not a confidence booster, but is an exercise in self-deception as we try to ignore or explain away our own insecurities. When it comes to talent, skills, or ability, a lack of confidence in these areas often bring on a sense of inadequacy that can lead to depression.

Confidence in one's self is not always the easiest thing in the world to achieve. Building your own self-image can be an exercise in selfishness and egotism. After all, we do promote humility-the intentional redirecting of attention to someone else. Unless you are completely devoid of pride, even humility can make you feel inadequate as others fail to notice your own contributions. This lack of notice can even lead to further insecurities and then, again, to depression.

But confidence is not built based on your own skills, talents, and abilities. In fact, people with a very large range of talents become dependent on those talents to such a degree that they would fall apart and wallow in self-pity if those talents ever betrayed them-which they will, especially as we get older. No, self-confidence is not built on being better than others, or being self-reliant, or even having a wide range of talent or skill sets.

WHERE TRUE CONFIDENCE COMES FROM

Confidence is something you gain through a powerful knowledge of where your support is coming from as you face the challenges of life. It is what you know you can fall back on when all else fails you. It is knowing who is there to back you up when faced with heavy burdens or difficult trials.

For example, I am not a lover of American football. If you saw me, you would agree, that my physical physique does not lend itself much to doing well at football. I am too skinny. Getting hit one time ends any further participation on my part! Still, I would confidently challenge any group of people if the Green Bay Packers decided they wanted to play on my team. Knowing who is backing me up gives me tremendous confidence. My own skills may be inadequate, but confidence doesn't come because I am good or bad at football. It comes because I have a professional team backing me up! Bring them on!

Psalms 23:4- Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

This is a great Bible verse and one that is well known. The psalmist, David, writes that his confidence in facing the valley of death is not in his own strength. It lies not in his martial skills, or his ability on the harp. No, his confidence to fear no evil comes from knowing that God is with him.

Psalms 118:6- The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

Children gain confidence, not because they are necessarily more skilled or talented than other children, but because they have a tremendous support structure at home, at church, and with their peers.

I distinctly remember as a child when captains would choose from among their classmates for a team or ball game. If, for example, the best player chose me, even if I wasn't near his skill level, it always gave me a boost of confidence. It had nothing to do with my own skill; it had to do with being accepted, being loved, and knowing I have a wonderful supporting cast. But being picked last would often make you fill inadequate.

We really can't stop the above example from happening-someone must be picked last. But we can give each child a supporting role at home. My parents were my best friends growing up. I didn't have to be the best. I just needed to know that mom and dad were behind me. I took a Christian stand in a very large public High School. Several of the teachers there told me that I couldn't bring a Bible to school anymore. Worried and feeling somewhat depressed, I told dad. Dad said, "Take the Bible. If they have a problem, I'll take care of it." Well now, that changes things. I went to school just hoping someone would have a problem! Having dad behind me, knowing he was on my side, gave me tremendous confidence.

TWO THINGS TO DO

First, it is essential that you surround yourself with people who love and care for you. Without a supporting cast in life, you will find yourself lacking more and more confidence as you face the problems of life. If you feel that no one likes you or loves you, understand that no one is completely unlovable. You may need to adjust your approach. Instead of waiting for people to come to you, you go to them.

Proverbs 18:24- A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Stop waiting for people to notice you. People who love are always loved.

Secondly, get to know God like you have never known Him before. Life is hard. I don't need to tell you that. Spiritually, having a relationship with God is essential to building confidence in your life, especially as you deal with the difficulties of life.

I asked some teenagers about how they know God exists. None of them could give me a good answer, because none of them ever really had to take a real step of faith. I know God exists. I've put Him and His Word to the test many times and He always keeps His promises. I have miracle after miracle to prove it.

Knowing you have a strong relationship with your Saviour, Jesus, with the Father, and His Holy Spirit brings tremendous confidence in the face of any adversity and difficulty.

Give it a try, you'll like it.

Rock Music and Its Genres

Rock music comes in a range of forms so the chances are good that everyone on this planet will be able to appreciate at least a few songs. Having said that, rock music is not a style that appeals to everyone. It can be a bit hard and loud for those who prefer their music light and airy. The lyrics can also be on the dark side and depending on the genre, a little depressing. Those who love rock have their particular genres and tend not to stray too much. Those who love soft rock for instance, won't spend much time or money on the punk rock or metal scene. Likewise, metalheads wouldn't be caught dead cruising the pop rock aisle. Alternative rock is a genre that encompasses many others, some of which are included below.

Punk rock is one of those fiercely anti-establishment music genres that your parents hate. It developed between 1974 and 1977, mainly in the US, UK and Australia. Punk rock moved away from mainstream 70s rock by stripping down the instrumentation, playing faster and harder and writing more political or nihilistic lyrics. Writing also confronts sex and relationships in a manner that was scandalous at the time for its anti-sentimentality. It struck a chord with rebellious youths of the time who adopted a particular style of dress and developed their anti-authoritarian philosophies. It was a scornful answer to the political idealism of the time and strongly rejected the flower-power hippie movement. Punk resulted in a total cultural revolution, which gradually led to the development of the alternative rock movement.

Alternative rock serves as an umbrella term for all underground music that has come about since the mid 80s. Its characterised by its rejection of mainstream culture and materialism. Those who feel cast aside by society or who feel like they don't fit in anywhere else often embrace it. It has no set musical style and ranges from grunge to gothic rock. Lyrics are often concerned with social issues like drug use and depression.

Pop punk combines punk rock and pop music and is thus known as a fusion genre. Pop influenced punk has been around since the 70s. It has a faster rhythm than hardcore punk, from which it mainly originated. Their approach is more positive and sarcastic than other punk genres and this is their distinguishing characteristic. Their brattiness also provided many punk fans with relief from the moodiness and nihilistic lyrics of the grunge and hardcore punk bands.

Heavy metal, or simply metal developed in the 60s and early 70s. Vocals vary widely from a multi-octave theatrical approach (Bruce Dickenson from Iron Maiden), to a gruff style (James Hetfield of Metallica), to screaming and growling and a phlegm-clogged, possessed style. Lyrics most commonly revolve around sex, violence, death and the occult. They also feature fantasy inspired themes.

Thrash metal emerged in the early 80s, with a sound that was faster and more aggressive than traditional metal bands. Lyrics dealt with social or political issues or were nihilistic in content.

Death metal came about as thrash evolved into more extreme genres. It is characterised by lyrics that emphasise blasphemy, aggression, violence and Satanism. Vocals tend to include guttural "death grunts", high-pitched screaming and various other hardcore techniques.

Emo is a sub-genre of hardcore punk. It began in the mid 90s and was used to refer to the indie scene. These days the term has expanded to include such a wide variety of bands that very few of them have anything in common. This expansion makes the term very difficult to qualify. It has become so broad, in fact, that many bands and fans of the bands have rejected the "emo" label as it does nothing to distinguish them from hundred of others. It merely lumps them into a single category because they may dress in a similar fashion to other bands, or some of their songs may be popular within the "emo" scene. However, those who identify strongly with the "emo" scene and label are severely offended when the term is applied loosely to so many bands that don't fit the profile. Guy Picciotto of Fugazi and Rites of Spring was once asked how he felt about playing an instrumental role in creating the emo genre. This was his reply, " I don't recognise that attribution. I've never recognised "emo" as a genre of music. I always thought it was the most retarded term ever. ... every band that gets labelled with that term hates it. They feel scandalised by it. But honestly, I just thought that all the bands I played in were punk rock bands. ..."

Some other famous rock stars have their say.

"We weren't too ambitious when we started out. We just wanted to be the biggest thing that ever walked the planet." -- Steven Tyler

"... I don't want you to play me a riff that's going to impress Joe Satriani; give me a riff that makes a kid want to go out and buy a guitar and learn to play- ..." Ozzy Osbourne

"We never thought of ourselves as a 'heavy metal band' we've always regarded ourselves as a rock band. The big difference we've always thought we had a lot more feel for rock, we always went out for songs, not riffs or heavy, heavy sounds. But every now and again it does come on like a sledge hammer." -- Angus Young, guitarist with AC/DC

"Whenever society gets too stifling and the rules get too complex, there's some sort of musical explosion" - Slash/Guns 'n Roses

Recommended sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punk_rock

http://www.musicwithease.com/rock-quotes.html

http://www.ducksdeluxe.com/quotes.html

Steroids in Baseball

Steroids should be banned from the game of baseball. The integrity of baseball is diminishing because of the over use of steroids by big time players. Anabolic steroids are a synthetic version of the male hormone testosterone. Testosterone in its normal state promotes and boosts muscle development and growth. When it is supplemented with steroids, you have an increase of muscle mass, reduction of body fat, and enhanced endurance. Steroids can be injected into an athlete's body in three ways; the butt, the shoulder, and the thigh. Jose Canseco stated in his book Juiced that over "85% of baseball players use steroids" (136). Steroids have caused a lot of health consequences to baseball players who have used them over a long period of time. Baseball has attempted to toughen its drug policy by a plan of having random testing during the season.

On March 17, 2005, there was a congressional hearing about BALCO. BALCO is located in California. BALCO is a nutrition center that has been known to distribute steroids to such players' as Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, and Jason Giambi. There were five players summoned to testify in front of Congress; Rafael Palmeiro, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Jose Canseco, and Curt Schilling. During this period, Bond's trainer, Greg Anderson and BALCO head Victor Conte, were not subpoenaed in California by the House Committee for investigation. I believe that Greg Anderson and Victor Conte should have been subpoenaed, because they had such a big role in the involvement of steroids in baseball. After the hearing was over congress pressured baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association to begin applying stricter regulations and to have a zero tolerance policy in correspondence to performance enhancing drugs (Wikipedia). To illustrate the lesser penalties, in 2004, the policy consisted of; first positive test resulted in a suspension of ten games, a second positive test resulted in a suspension of thirty games, the third positive test resulted in a suspension of sixty games, the fourth positive test resulted in a suspension of one full year, and a fifth positive test resulted in a penalty at the commissioner's discretion. Players were tested at least once per year, with the chance that several players could be tested many times per year. In 2005 the penalties were toughened; a first positive test would result in a fifty game suspension, a second positive test would result in a hundred game suspension, and a third positive test would result in a lifetime suspension from MLB (Bodley 1).

Anabolic Steroids have major scientific side effects on the body; the negative effects that steroids have on the body should be the main the reason why baseball bans players from using them. Here are all the health issues that a player will have to deal with sometime or another during and after the use of steroids. There are strong indications that tumors of the liver are caused when the anabolic steroids contain a 17-alpha-alkyl group. Also anabolic steroids may lead to hepatic carcinoma. A well known side effect of AS in males is breast formation (gynecomastia). Gynecomastia is caused by increased levels of circulating estrogens, which are typical female sex hormones. Most of the investigations have been focused on risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, and in particular the effect of anabolic steroids on blood pressure and on plasma lipoproteins. Anabolic steroid users may become dependent on the drug, with symptoms of withdrawal after cessation of drug use. The withdrawal symptoms consist of aggressive and violent behavior, mental depression with suicidal behavior, mood changes, and in some cases acute psychosis. Steroids also have some side effects that aren't as bad. They are premature balding or hair loss, dizziness, mood swings, including anger, aggression, and depression, believing things that aren't true (delusion), extreme feelings of mistrust or fear (paranoia), problems sleeping, nausea and vomiting, trembling, high blood pressure that can damage the heart or blood vessels over time, aching joints, greater chance of injuring muscles and tendons, jaundice or yellowing of the skin; liver damage, urinary problems, shortening of final adult height, and increased risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer (downshen).

Not only can steroids be dangerous to the human body, but the injection of steroids is just as dangerous. The most commonly way players get injected are through needles. Steroids need to be taken two or three times a week, that's why injecting steroids is so important because it happens so frequently. There are three major areas where steroids are injected; the butt, the shoulder, and the thigh. These three parts are the safest parts of the body to inject steroids because they offer a large area where the needle can be injected safely Injecting steroids the wrong way can cause major health problems. The most notable diseases are HIV and Aids. Athletes can get these diseases by either sharing needles or not cleaning the needle properly (Steroid).

Steroids pose an unfair advantage for players that use them. They help athletes get stronger, run faster, and pitch stronger. A well known athlete Evander Holyfield said "Well, when I think of steroids I think of an image. You have the advantage over someone, which is a form of cheating. I guess it wouldn't be right unless it was legal for everybody. Reason it's not legal for everybody is because it can hurt people seriously (Brainy Quote)." With steroids, players have broken records that people thought would never be broken. Barry Bonds broke the home run record for most home runs in a season. Baseball columnists say "that the record should not count because Bonds broke it using steroids". As a young kid growing up playing baseball, I used to look up to Barry Bonds. I got his jersey, collected all his baseball cards, and tried to watch all his games. Ever since steroids popped up surrounding him, I don't like him anymore. I can not look up to someone that uses steroids. I also can not look up to someone who in my opinion cheated to get here he is at. He has lost a lot of fans because of the steroids case surrounding him. I have lost a ton of respect for Bonds as a player and as a man. Another baseball player that has used steroids to his advantage was Ken Caminiti. He has stated that he won the 1996 NL MVP Award while on steroids (Wikipedia). I don't think that Ken's MVP Award should be taken away because he accomplished the award before any one new that baseball players were using steroids. Professional baseball players that use steroids are bad role models towards young kids playing baseball. It tells kids that it is alright to use steroids to enhance your performance or cheat. When young kids use steroids, it destroys their bodies a lot quicker than it would a grown man. It destroys their bodies in such ways that can destroy their athletic careers for ever. Steroid problems can result when they create imbalances in the body. In young kids steroids build muscle mass so quickly, the rest of the body cannot adjust quickly enough. You get a tremendous increase in muscle mass, but the connective tissue does not catch up. The tendons and ligaments are not strong enough, causing such injuries as ligament tears. Knees are a common victim of overdeveloped muscles. Knee injuries may include a fracture of the femur, the bone connecting the hip to the knee. If the fracture affects the epiphyseal plate, the site where new bone actually grows, the body will grow a bony bridge across the plate, stunting growth in that leg. The other leg will continue growing, causing unequal leg length as the child matures. Although other steroid-induced joint injuries may heal better than this, joints are never quite the same again (Brandser). As a fan of the game, I think players using steroids take away from the integrity of the game. It is not the way baseball should be played. Ryan Sandberg, a Hall Of Fame baseball player agrees with me when he said "We do have a problem in baseball, and using steroids is not respecting the game (Brainy Quote)."

Steroids have made a big impact on the game of baseball. Nowadays, several baseball players have been using steroids to enhance their muscles and their performance. Greats like Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, and Lou Gherig didn't need enhancement drugs to break records. They were great without the needles whereas today, steroids seem to be almost a necessity for some players. The use of steroids is giving Major League Baseball a bad name. Broken records in the past fifteen years can be blamed on steroids. As a result of steroid use, the sports pace has changed greatly. More homeruns have been hit and more records have been broken. Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa are three of the players involved in one of the most celebrated record chases: the single season home run champ. There's no coincidence that all three players are under review for steroid use. Another reason why players tend to use steroids is because they will produce better statistics which in the long run will get them higher salaries. The players I mentioned in the beginning of the paragraph; Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, and Lou Gherig played the game with respect. They are proof that an athlete can be in the Hall Of Fame with out using steroids. They are the players that gave the game integrity and now the players that are using steroids are taken it away. The players that don't use steroids are the players that young kids should look up to, not the ones that use steroids. As a big fan of baseball, I love to see players succeed with out having to use steroids. Stadiums are losing money because less and less fans are coming to watch the games at the ball parks. They rather stay at home and watch steroid athletes play than waste money to go watch them play.

Steroids have been around in sports for a long time. It wasn't until 2004 that steroids have become such a big problem. Steroids are killing the integrity of the game. A lot of the big time players in Major League Baseball that own records have been able to achieve those records because of the use of steroids, and that's not right. There have been a lot of athletes that kids look up to that have accomplished their goals by not using steroids. Those are the athletes that we should be hearing about in the news, not the ones that cheat. Steroids give an unfair advantage to the people who use them. It makes them run faster, jump higher, and pitch faster. The most important thing about using steroids is the fact that it destroys your body. Not only are steroids dangerous but the injection of steroids is just as dangerous. As the saying goes "cheaters never win," and with the new restrictions they won't.