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Why Jeff Rutstein Had to Stare Death in the Face
Before He Finally Quit Using Drugs?
By Daniel Casciato, MBA
Rutstein, 40, was addicted to anabolic steroids, alcohol, street drugs and prescription drugs. As a teenager, the Massachusetts native began taking steroids, and for three-and-a-half years, he found himself on a steroid roller coaster. Every time Rutstein tried to get off steroids, he would lose muscle mass, become depressed and then start back on them.
"You don't think of steroids as a drug," he says. "You think of it more as a vitamin that helped you get stronger. All I cared about was getting bigger and my workouts were more important than my school work."
Rutstein soon discovered that steroids were a gateway to other drugs. He started taking other illegal drugs like acid and cocaine. He began drinking as well.
"After awhile, shooting up with a needle was nothing to me," he says. "I would do almost anything. I just didn't care."
When he finally quit cold turkey, as a New Year's resolution, his life went into a tailspin from which it took more than a year for him to recover. With the help of his parents, he got treatment and recovered.
It was during this time when he decided that he wanted to work with people who were in trouble – whether it was from substance abuse, stress, or psychological despair - and help them overcome their problems. Therefore, in 1990, Rutstein started Custom Fitness in Boston, a center that promotes a mind-body approach to exercise. His unique approach to fitness is the opposite of the usual "no pain, no gain" workout mills.
"I found this work to be very rewarding for me," he says. "The reason I got into this business is so I could make people feel better."
Rutstein said that he quickly gained converts throughout the Boston area, with doctors and mental health professionals recommending their clients to him. Based on his experiences, he wrote Rutstein on Fitness: Strengthening the Body to Heal the Mind.
"I wanted people to know that exercise doesn't have to hurt," says Rutstein. "It doesn't have to be that way. Exercise is great stress relief and a way to make people feel good."
Rutstein was named Distinguished Personal Trainer by American Fitness, an Outstanding Fitness Leader by Reebok Instructor News, The Best Samaritan by American Health, and is a Master Level Personal Trainer certified by the International Dance and Exercise Association (IDEA).
After reading Jose Canseco's tell-all book about steroid abuse in baseball, Rutstein felt the time was right for him to write about steroid abuse and his experiences.
"I felt that Jose didn't know what he was talking about," he says. "I wanted to tell my story about my abuse and my uphill struggle to overcome it."
Rutstein's book, The Steroid Deceit: A Body Worth Dying For?, discusses the reasons why kids turn to steroids; the warning signs of abuse; how parents can deal with steroids; and an explanation of the dangers of steroid abuse including rage, depression, heart disease and death.
Some of the warning signs that Rutstein mentions include:
- Large gain of muscle mass over a short period of time
- Increased time spent in the gym and a preoccupation with weight training
- Dramatic changes in personality
- Abnormally large breasts in males
- Stretch marks, especially around the breast area
- Increased acne, especially on the back, face, and chest
- Facial puffiness due to water retention
- Needle marks on the buttocks
- Increased blood pressure and heart rate
Rutstein believes that steroid use among teens is becoming epidemic.
"More people need to recognize that steroid abuse has become a serious problem," he says. "And it's getting worse. One reason is that it is simple to obtain. Another problem with steroids is that they actually work."
Although Rutstein's solution was to quit cold turkey, he does not recommend anyone trying that now.
"Quitting cold turkey is not the best idea. I was completely out of mind when I came off it," he says. "My body went into shock and I went into a mania. But for me, that was the only way."
Rutstein suggests getting counseling and treatment. He also recommends weaning yourself off the drug.
"But most importantly, you have to make the tough choice that you want to get better," he adds. "I was petrified to stop doing it but I knew that if I kept doing steroids, I would be dead. It's a bad addiction."
As a parent to two young children now, ages 4 and 16 months, Rutstein hopes that parents, children, and physicians read his book to learn about steroid abuse and what they can do to stop it.
"I just want my book to be able to reach people before it's too late," he says.
For more information, visit www.StopSteroidAbuse.com or www.jeffrutstein.com.
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