Friend on Steroids

[maryjk]

Morally obligated to do? I don’t know.

But I can tell you what my 17 year old son did when he found out a younger friend was using a product that he wasn’t legally able to buy. The friend asked him not to tell. My son couldn’t do that. So he told the friend he was going to bring it up to their mutual pastor. And ask him for guidance. That basically the friend couldn’t ask him not to tell.

He didn’t go to Confession with it, because he wanted the pastor to be able to talk about it outside of their private conversation.

So my son talked to the pastor, the pastor talked to the young man and they, the pastor and the young man, went together and talk to his parents. It seemed to work out, without my son losing their friendship and without the young man “getting into trouble.”

 

[andrewstx]

I’m pretty sure anabolic steroids aren’t on prescription. I would talk to him about it, get him some material off the net and show him how dangerous they are. It’s going to get harder and harder for him to lay off them and it’s going to seriously impact his health.

If he doesn’t listen to you, I would advise you to inform his parents/immediate family -no matter how old he is- tell them that he told you on trust and you don’t want him knowing that you mentioned it to them. They should be able to find some way of pretending to find out about them without including you.

He shouldn’t have to find out, but even if he does reassure him that you ultimately brought it to their attention for his own good as a friend, and you wouldn’t be a true friend if you didn’t.

Don’;t be so sure without knowing as a fact.

I personally was on Adrogel over a year, and it was prescribed to me by my personal physician. I am not a body-builder at all, just had a hormonal defieciancy.

 

[POJIUJH]

Don’;t be so sure without knowing as a fact.

I personally was on Adrogel over a year, and it was prescribed to me by my personal physician. I am not a body-builder at all, just had a hormonal defieciancy.

Well, fair enough. Still, gels aren’t nearly as effective/dangerous as injection - which is what most people go for.

No, I’m certain that he does NOT take them. He takes vitamins and fish oil. I’ve never even seen him take an aspirin.

Ah, I misread. My bad!

 

[Newbie2]

Morally speaking, this situation reduces to:

“Should I rat on (Name) for doing something (illegal, unhealthy) and risk losing (him/her) as a friend?”

First step: urge friend to quit. From the OP is sounds like he is taking anabolics without a prescription/doctor’s knowledge or parent’s knowledge.

Second step: Decide if you care more about your friend or your friendship. This can be incorporated into step one. “I value YOU as a friend, even if telling someone in order to get you to quit has to happen. If you don’t quit yourself, I feel obligated to tell someone to keep you from doing harm to your own body.” Something like that.

Consider how you might feel if he develops liver failure or (eventually) cancer from taking steroids over the years (granted, you don’t know if he’ll quit on his own or get more into the juice) if you say nothing.