Protect Yourself Against a Failed Drug Test
Jan 23, 2023
The humiliation.
The dishonor of letting yourself down, and your unit.
The frustration at being removed from duty, and putting your career in jeopardy.
These are the emotions military professionals or first responders can expect after a failed drug test.
It’s a black mark against your name likely to stand forever.
Despite all these dire costs, using performance enhancing drugs is still tempting. They can be a way to make it through the grind.
Sadly, incorrectly framing the potential losses against the possible wins can sway tactical professionals in the wrong direction.
Keep reading to find out how to make smart decisions.
THE GUILT TRIP OF DOPING
There’s the guilt you felt when your parents got the water bill after you’d been enjoying months of 25-minute showers.
Then there’s the forever-guilt stamped on you like a prison tattoo that doping will bring. You can say sorry to mom for the former, but the latter should be a consideration if you’re someone who is tempted to dope, suggests a paper at the University of Birmingham.
When the researchers got elite athletes to visualize how guilty they’d feel after using banned performance enhancing drugs, they had a more powerful negative reaction, compared to when they were told about the health risks they’d suffer.
These athletes were shown two types of video confessions. The first were about drug cheaters describing their mixed emotions after winning. The second were about successful athletes who described their feelings after competing.
This highlighted the real-world consequences and created a powerful psychological dissuasion toward doping, one that seemed far more powerful than spreading education about the poor health outcomes.
YOUR TACK
Yes, banned performance enhancers are bad for your health, but the thrill of achieving your goal may make it seem worth the price of admission.
If you’re getting pressured by peers or considering doping, then watch some videos of famous cheats discussing the consequences of their cheating ways.
It’s not pretty. It’s emotional. Confronting.
You can’t help but empathize with their emotions and the hurt they’ve caused to their teammates, friends, and family. Put yourself in their shoes and it’s likely you’ll think differently about your choices. The impacts can reach deeper and affect your unit, community or country, and your family.
ONE CONTAMINATED SUPPLEMENT CAN STAB YOU IN THE BACK
If you dope by choice that’s on you. But if you test positive inadvertently because of one contaminated supplement, the regret is likely to be twice as painful since you will still be labelled a doper. If you’ve done everything right and a contaminated supplement brings you down that’s just like being stabbed in the back.
Rather than suffer this fate, it’s best to take the initiative to make sure you don’t inadvertently take banned substances that could be hiding in your supplements.
Look for third party testing certificates such as the BSCG Certified Drug Free program from the Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG) who have decades of experience in anti-doping and sport drug testing.
The BSCG Certified Drug Free program helps to ensure products are free of banned substances in sport and other potential drug contaminants and verify that products meet label claims and are free of environmental contaminants. Not only are you making sure you get the best quality products and ingredients, but you safeguard yourself against a failed drug test and unscrupulous new ingredients.
Every lot of BSCG Certified Drug Free supplements are tested for 505 drugs including 296 drugs on the WADA Prohibited List and 209 OTC, illicit, or prescription drugs – the most comprehensive testing menu in the realm of third-party certification for banned substances.
This offers maximum protection against hidden risks of dietary supplement contamination and protects you and your career against a failed drug test.
Before you go supplement shopping it may be worth watching the likes of Marion Jones or Ben Johnson. While they knowingly cheated, their regret is the same as someone who cheated thanks to a contaminated supplement. Don’t let that be you!
Look for the BSCG Certified Drug Free gold seal on your supplements so you can sleep easy knowing you’ll be in the clear.
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