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Culture War Roundup for the week of September 5, 2022

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Steroids have unpredictable and dangerous longterm consequences not just on testosterone but on mood stability and risk-taking. If you’re a SEAL you’re not going to have “gear” in your gear on deployment. So while a lot of your points are interesting, I’m not persuaded by the main one; the SEALs have a legitimate longterm interest in ensuring applicants are not using steroids, just as they have an internet in ensuring applicants are not using amphetamines, eyeglasses, or pain relievers.

Steroids have unpredictable and dangerous longterm consequences not just on testosterone but on mood stability and risk-taking.

Perhaps, but how could you tell? Military life has the same consequences.

If you’re a SEAL you’re not going to have “gear” in your gear on deployment.

Why not? Regular infantrymen manage it, and SEALs get a lot more discretionary baggage.

just as they have an internet in ensuring applicants are not using amphetamines, eyeglasses, or pain relievers.

Oh boy. Your whole thing is just one wrong assumption. Everyone in the military is on painkillers. ADD meds are super popular, widely prescribed and even more widely used off-label. Plus virtually everyone is a raging alcoholic. The eyeglass thing is real, but easy to get exceptions to, and the military pays for LASIK anyway.

I think there are good reasons not to use PEDs, but none of the issues you raise are real.

There are reasons to oppose steroid use, but steroids mentally compromising soldiers isn't at the top of my list. I've been on steroids, they don't make you a different person. The number of people who are totally fine mentally without them but risk taking maniacs on them is very small

I think what /u/MediumIsMessage is saying is probably true for androgens but not PEDs more broadly. I'm basing this off my brother's encounter with T, which made him into a much more manic/alpha type of guy.

I don't think that's really true. I would give a listen to this video. There is an index in the description, the person to listen to is Dr. Mike Israetel. From what I've understood from him, if you keep the doses low you don't get most of the bad effects but you will see benefits.

People doing large amounts to look good on instagram is obviously terrible and deadly but that doesn't mean there is no proper way to use steroids. After all, we do use them for plenty of common medical applications.