The Psychological Effects of Using Steroids Anabolic Steroids. What are they? Where do they come from? Why are they used? From amateurs to pros, from body builders to football players and every sport in between, Steroids, or "roids" as they are referred to, have been in the circle of athletes since the 1950’s. Is it vanity that drives athletes to use steroids? Do they understand the end results from the abuse of "roids"? What psychological effects do steroids have on users? In order to understand the psychological effects of steroids, you must first understand what steroids are and w