Concerns remain about high level of anabolic steroid addiction and body dysmorphic disorder in young men, says leading psychiatrist
Date: 19th November 2024
Young men are continuing to turn to anabolic steroids rather than seek medical support for body dysmorphic disorder, according to a leading consultant psychiatrist.
Dr William Shanahan, clinical director of addictions at Priory Hospital Roehampton, spoke on International Men’s Day (Tuesday 19 November), the global day for raising awareness of issues impacting male health and wellbeing.
He said: “The number of men, particularly young men, gripped by body dysmorphic disorder continues to concern us.
“It is an increasingly common anxiety disorder that causes people to become particularly self-conscious, believing they have a problem with their appearance or with a specific feature of their body. It can escalate and dominate a person’s thoughts to the extent that they may struggle to think about anything else on a daily basis.
“If you find your appearance is dominating your thoughts like this, it is important to seek specialist medical support.”
The disorder is intertwined with rising rates of anabolic steroid addiction, as people turn to the substance to try to ease their anxieties, according to Priory consultant psychiatrist Dr Shanahan.
“I’m seeing more and more patients affected by this issue, and that’s being reflected in our services across the country. We are increasingly concerned by the ongoing trend.
“There are a complex number of factors which underpin the condition, including low self-esteem and social anxiety, as well as external factors such as the normalisation of unhealthy body image goals in society.
“We’re much more conscious today than we once were about the widespread media depiction of unattainable body images for women, and I think we can see some positive steps from brands and media outlets in this area. But we now see more widespread imagery in society – across all forms of media - depicting unattainable male body images too.
“This increasingly lean and muscular body type rarely exists in nature. It has led to large numbers of young men turning to anabolic steroids.”
Studies have reported that up to 2.4% of the general population may be affected by body dysmorphic disorder. Dr Shanahan adds that, rather than easing anxieties for people with body dysmorphic disorder, anabolic steroid use is leading to further mental and physical health problems.
He said: “It's important to consider anabolic steroid use as both a consequence of mental health pressure, triggered by underlying body dysmorphic disorder, and also as a significant contributor to other mental health symptoms.
“We know that many anabolic steroid users don't see themselves on a par with the stereotypical drug addict. They're often employed, with ordered lives and nice homes. They often see themselves as engaging in a healthy lifestyle choice. The primary goal is to achieve a more attractive body. Many people don’t realise the dangers, or the severity of the consequences, so it is critical that we get the message out loud and clear that anabolic steroids use is addictive, and it is not safe.
“Anabolic steroid use carries a myriad of health risks. The so called ‘roid rage’ is not actually very common, unless steroids are mixed with alcohol. The impact for users is usually much less visible – from muscle damage to neurological damage – making it harder for friends and family to spot, intervene and support an addict.
“Users suffer from increased anxiety levels, depression and impaired cognitive abilities. There are physical health dangers too, from increased acne and hair loss to erectile dysfunction and fertility issues, development of male breasts, heart problems, liver damage, kidney damage, damage to the nervous system, prostate cancer, and so much more.”
Priory - the UK’s largest independent provider of mental health and adult social care services - has campaigned in recent years for improved awareness of body dysmorphic disorder and anabolic steroid use, leading to a debate on the issue in the House of Commons in 2023.
Anabolic steroid users are often not able to recognise the causes of their mental ill-health, according to Dr Shanahan, and still greater awareness is needed across society to help encourage young men, in particular, to seek support.
He said: “Often our patients do not seek support for their steroid use or for body dysmorphic disorder. They may instead seek medical support for depression or anxiety.
“With the right support, we can help people to recognise and address the underlying factors causing the decline in their mental health. But the more awareness we can raise about the dangers of anabolic steroid addiction, the more we can support young men to help them avoid lasting mental and physical health damage.
“It’s vital that we set create a healthier culture around exercise which focuses realistic body image goals. For anyone struggling with body image concerns, mental health issues or anabolic steroid use, please seek medical support early.
“Body dysmorphic disorder can deeply affect your self-perception, but recognising the signs early can help people take the first steps towards healing and support.”
ENDS
Contact: [email protected]
About Priory and MEDIAN Group
Priory is the UK’s largest independent provider of mental health and adult social care services. Priory treats more than 70 conditions, including depression, anxiety, addictions and eating disorders, as well as children’s mental health, across its nationwide network of sites. Priory also supports autistic adults and adults with a learning disability, Prader-Willi Syndrome and brain injuries, as well as older people, within specialist residential care and supported living facilities – helping as many people as possible to live their lives.
Priory is part of the MEDIAN Group, the leading European provider of high-quality mental health and rehabilitation services. The MEDIAN Group comprises: Priory in the UK with 290 facilities and 5,000 beds caring for 28,000 people, MEDIAN in Germany with 120 facilities and 20,000 beds caring for around 250,000 patients, and Hestia in Spain with 15 facilities and 2,100 beds caring for 11,000 people in Spain, with more than 29,000 employees across the group.