by Ted Sherman

Created on: July 04, 2007

From preliminary police reports, and with the arrest of Benoit's physician, many authorities have concluded that "roid rage" was the cause of the tragedy. However, until all the medical and drug investigations are concluded, no one really knows if steroids were responsible for the insane, murderous acts by the wrestler. There is even the possibility, put forth by the desperate pro wrestling community, that another person or persons may have killed the Benoit family.

That said, we know from the history of steroid use by athletes that there have been many severe mental and physical problems caused by that group of drugs. From the records of pro wrestlers, weightlifters and others, statistics reveal the steroid user's lifespan is from ten to 20 years less than the American average. In addition to the fake rages the audience sees on TV, many pro wrestlers and other athletes suffer steroid-fed bouts of anger and depression. It doesn't just affect American athletes.

When the East German women's swim team won all the gold medals at the 1960 Olympics, there were many jokes about how big, husky and masculine they looked. The women said later that the coaches told them they were taking vitamins, when the medications were actually powerful steroids. Their lives since that year have been affected by inability to conceive healthy children, severe arthritis, liver damage and sudden heart attacks before the age of 40. Years later, one of the swimmers confessed she had seven miscarriages. Two others lived out their lives as males. More telling, most of them confessed that they couldn't have normal relationships because they constantly suffered depression and uncontrollable fits of anger.

Whether it was Benoit's "roid" rage that caused his family tragedy, or if further investigation proves other people were involved, only time will tell. However, the records clearly show that those drugs, whether legal or not, too often have a history of causing mental and physical problems with tragic consequences.

Learn more about this author, Ted Sherman.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.