This same idiosyncratic pattern has also been documented in animals; for example, most hamsters administered AAS display aggressiveness, but some show little behavioral change (Clark and Henderson, 2003; DeLeon et al., 2002; Melloni et al., 1997). In humans, there also appears to be an idiosyncratic association of depression with hypogonadism following AAS withdrawal. For example, in one laboratory study of pharmacologically induced hypogonadism, most men showed little or no depression, while a few showed marked depressive symptoms (Schmidt et al., 2004). Although the non-uniform nature of AAS psychological effects, both at physiologic doses (Kanayama et al., 2007a; Rubinow and Schmidt, 1996) and at supraphysiologic doses (Pope and Brower, 2009), has long been acknowledged, its mechanism is still unclear. Preliminary findings in animals (Clark and Henderson, 2003; DeLeon et al., 2002; Fischer et al., 2007; Grimes and Melloni, 2006) and humans (Daly, 2001; Daly et al., 2003; Daly et al., 2001) have implicated a variety of possible associations with brain neurochemistry and hormonal levels, with several studies suggesting that serotonergic effects may play a key role.
One thing I can definitely agree with is that when people take large doses of AAS and certain types of AAS, like Tren (aka Devil’s Juice), their personalities can change. No experienced steroid user will argue this. And the marked depression that can follow abrupt discontinuation of AAS is 100% for real! After more than a decade in the business, I can vouch for this.
When I analyze all of the studies of roid rage that I have read, I noticed a number of common themes. It seems almost universal that the authors differentiate frank psychosis vs. impulse control and Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) vs. AAS use. And unlike studies where there are clear measurable variables and end points, e.g. blood pressure, lipid values, hemoglobin and kidney function, determining a cause-effect series of events regarding AAS use and psychiatric issues is onerous. Nonetheless, when discussing roid rage, one has to consider the perspective of who is being questioned. It is clear that when AAS users are asked about roid rage, they get defensive and minimize its relevance vs. non-AAS users who tend to assert that such a state exists, without adequate scientific support.
