THIS man is battling to raise awareness of a little-known condition that can have dramatic consequences if left untreated.

Dave Allen has had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) since he was a teenager however, when the condition carried on into his adult life, he found he was at a loss as to where to seek help.

“I was initially diagnosed with ADHD when I was 13, and back then they thought you would grow out of it by 15 or 16,” said Dave, 34.

“It wasn’t until last November when I was diagnosed as having adult ADHD that I got the medication I needed. Before then, I was a complete mess.

“I have been in trouble with the law for things like criminal damage and assault. I have been in prison five times.”

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects attention and can cause excessive activity.

Usually recognised in young children, symptoms can seemingly reduce with age, causing many to believe the condition is only experienced in childhood.

However, because it is neurological and not a behavioural condition, ADHD requires treatment in the form of therapy and medication.

Dave, and many others who are diagnosed with ADHD, know its effects can be seen well into adulthood if it is not treated.

Dave, of Littlefield Lane, Wombwell, said: “With ADHD you can have meltdowns where you’re completely overwhelmed by your emotions and lash out, it’s part of the fight-or-flight response. I was forever arguing with my family.

“I started self-medicating with alcohol. I’ve never really been able to develop and maintain friendships and relationships, or hold down a job for more than eight or nine weeks.

“Nobody knew I had this condition, it was just treated as unusual behaviour rather than some kind of illness.

“I saw my GP and said I think I might still have ADHD.

“The waiting list was really long, from referral to diagnosis took three years.

“It wasn’t so much a shock to get the diagnosis as a relief, it gave it an identity.

“I knew something was wrong but I didn’t know what it was.

“It’s going pretty well now. I’m getting on well with all my family, I haven’t had a single drop of alcohol, and I very very rarely raise my voice.”

The point about long waiting times is one which Dave stresses, and one of the main reasons why he became a champion for Time to Change, an organisation linked to charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness that works with employers, schools and communities to increase awareness of mental illnesses.

In his role as a champion, Dave campaigns to increase awareness and understanding of adult ADHD.

“It needs to be talked about and get more public recognition,” said Dave. “It’s something I wanted to put out there and get people discussing it, to either seek a diagnosis for themselves or get information to help other people.

“There’s no set limit for waiting times, the service needs auditing to find out who’s waiting and for how long and hopefully get it down to two years or lower.

“In places such as Liverpool I know people can be waiting in excess of seven years, and some areas haven’t even got services.

“I want to create discussion, because through discussion comes education, and through that, you beat ignorance.”