MUM'S GRIEF OVER HEROIN DEATH SON

A Grievpng Inverness mum whose teenage son died from a heroin overdose
believes the Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder he suffered
from sent him spiralling into his fatal addiction.

This week, Aileen Carson - whose youngest child Christopher (19) was
one of five drug users who died within three weeks of each other in
September - opened her heart to the Highland News.

The deaths sparked fears a poison batch of heroin was circulating in
the city, although police later ruled out any link, and it transpired
Christopher's death at a Telford Road B&B was caused by heroin toxicity.

Now, in a touching tribute to her son, his mum has handed over cash
donated at his funeral to the local support group for Attention
Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a condition Christopher
suffered from - and which, she believes, ultimately led to his death.

Symptoms include over-activity, sleep disorders, low self-esteem,
aggression, disruptive behaviour, frustration, attention-seeking,
depression or anxiety and, more importantly in Christopher's case, a
tendency towards substance abuse.

He was not diagnosed until age 14, and she believes if his symptoms
had been recognised earlier in his childhood, a combination of the
right medication, environment and support could have prevented him
from following the tragic route he did.

She is now urging other parents to seek help earlier if they believe
their child may be suffering from the disorder.

Aileen (53), of Smithton Park, said: "Christopher was one of the many
young people who lived with ADHD, which affected him in an extremely
adverse way.

"It was this disorder that left him with a vulnerability to substance
misuse and, even though he was supported tirelessly by many, it was an
over-focus which he was powerless to overcome.

"This disorder, which affects so many lives in so many ways, needs to
be diagnosed as early as possible to gain a more favourable outcome.
Christopher was diagnosed at age 14, which was too late."

Looking back, she believes his symptoms could have been pin-pointed
when he was in primary one at Smithton Primary School.

She recalled: "In his first year, they were given a fire drill and the
children were told not to press the glass on the alarm. What did he do
but press it and fire engines and everything appeared. It was his
first brush with being told off and he took it badly."

At that time, like many parents, she hadn't heard of ADHD, but other
symptoms he displayed included speech problems, learning difficulties
and lack of concentration.

She explained: "It was extreme behaviour, he was spaced out, and had
no concept of time and fear. With ADHD, variety is the spice of life,
so he would go from one thing to the next."

Soft-spoken Aileen said Christopher's behaviour led him to being
teased by other boys his age - and he took it to heart.

At school, although he got on well with learning support, his problems
were in the playground where he would take the blame for other lads'
misdemeanours, leading to him receiving more tellings off.

Like many other teenagers, his next move was to smoke and
drink.

His mum continued: "At around 12 or 13, he found cannabis as a lot of
teenagers do. He found it helped with his frustration. Whereas others
stop taking drugs because it spoils their social life, it enhanced his
so he carried on doing it.

"He believed it gave him a quality of life he could not give up on. It
made things easier for him."

Although smoking cannabis calmed him, his overall behaviour worsened
and he was on a "downward spiral".

His mum explained: "He would be alright for spells, but then
everything would go to the wind. It was as if he had a Jekyll and Hyde
syndrome. When he became frustrated, doors would be destroyed. We
couldn't have table lamps in our house as he would smash them. Over
time, this behaviour escalated."

Much to his mum's horror, Christopher started missing school and began
running away from home to stay in homeless hostels in the city centre.

During this turmoil, he was diagnosed with ADHD.

He was offered medication, Ritolin, which he failed to stay on as he
found the come down too much to bear. He was then prescribed a slower
releasing drug, Concerta.

Aileen, whose other children are Greg (28) and Jay (24), said: "He
only took that twice so he never gave it a chance to work. The boys at
school told him not to take it, they said he was being used as a
guinea pig. He listened to his peers rather than the
professionals."

Although a support network of professionals tried to get things in
place for him, Christopher left school at 16. The death of his father
at this time also left a huge scar.

He chose to go back to staying in homeless B&Bs and hostels - and
that's where he discovered heroin.

His mum said he would be turfed out of the B&Bs when his drugs were
discovered.

Aileen went on: "He went from pillar to post when the B&Bs found it
(the heroin). He didn't have the sense to hide it. I took him back for
a while, but he kept on going through this cycle."

His habit was so severe, Christopher would sell the food his mum
bought for him while staying at the B&Bs.

Eventually, at 19, not long before his death, Christopher was sent to
the Young Offender's Institute at Polmont.

His mum explained: "He wasn't sent there because of his crimes.
Everyone was so frightened he would kill himself they decided to
confine him for health issues. It worked really well for him because
of the order. He was there for four-and-a-half months and he put on
two stone and he did courses and gained certificates."

In July, six weeks before he died, he left Polmont and went to his
mum's for a fresh start, but he soon returned to his old ways, the
hostels and the drugs.

However, because he had been "clean" while at Polmont, his body didn't
have the same tolerance to cope with the drugs he was using.

What sealed his fate was a lump-sum back payment he received in his
benefits.

Aileen, who can barely bring herself to say the word "heroin", added:
"He must have had too many goes in one day, and his heart gave out. He
would have just thought, 'I'll have another', and bang, that was it.
It crept up on him without him realising it."

Tearfully producing a picture of Christopher as a blond cheeky-smiling
youngster, she said he had phoned her on the day of his death,
September 25, and was filling her in on all his latest news.

She added: "He was one of the nicest people you could have met, but he
was very vulnerable to that way of life.

"It is such a loss, and it's the sadness. He knew he had got himself
into something he couldn't get out of."

In a bid to raise awareness of the Highland ADHD Support Group she
gained help from in the way of books about the disorder, she asked for
donations instead of flowers at Christopher's cremation.

A total of ?300 was raised, which she has presented to treasurer,
Mandie Smith.

Mandie said the money will be spent on books similar to those that
helped Aileen out, as well funding a children's outing named after
Christopher.