‘Afflicted ‘A ffl get little or no help’

STEVE STEVEN HASTINGS, whos whose son Brandon was d diagnosed with ADHD aged six, believ believes more needs to be done to help suffer sufferers.

He warned that many suf ferers struggle to get a diagnosis and that d doctors and exper experts need to get to the ro root cause of the proble problem.

How However, the 44-ye 44-year-old fears this is unlike unlikely to happen as menta mental health is still not high o on people’s agend agenda.

He w worries Brandon, now 1 17, may struggle to get treatment he feels is denied to many adults.adults

“Any notion that parent parents are falsely claimi claiming their children have A ADHD is wrong,” said St Steven, from Rosyth Rosyth, Fife.

“The truth is that many struggle to get a diagnosis. “Som “Some children who show signs at three are not diagnosed till 10.

“In the meantime, parents are exhausted looking after their affected children with little or no help.”

Steven, a former Scottish Parliament assistant manager, believes he, too, has suffered from ADHD since childhood.

He was only diagnosed at 37 after years of struggling to get a diagnosis.

“I fear for Brandon now that he is 17 because treatment is far from adequate,” he added.

“I believe there is only one adult psychiatrist specialising in ADHD in the east of Scotland.

“He is based in Edinburgh.

“It is often diagnosed as depression.

“Without good, ongoing care, people with ADHD struggle to cope.

“If you had a chronic hip or eye problem, you would not be abandoned.

“So why should ADHD be dismissed?”

Steven believes the rise in ADHD cases is caused by better diagnosis of the condition.

“The truth is, many people struggle to get the treatment they need.”