Don’t demonise Willoughby for his condition

DO we have to make a monster out of someone to get our kicks? Surely we can be sufficiently grown-up to look at the whole picture. We are neither the parents nor doctors of Brian Willoughby, and so we don’t know all the details of his personality, possible conditions or family life.

What we have read is that at the age of 16 he was diagnosed as a case of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) by Prof Michael Fitzgerald. This was years after the first signs of some difficulties. His parents, from what we have read, tried for nine years for a diagnosis.

Dr Deirdre Killilea, a renowned psychologist specialising in ADD, asserts that early intervention before the age of seven is the way to help children with this condition and to protect society.

We suggest that the monster is not the person who suffers from ADD but the system that neglects firstly to diagnose at an early stage and secondly to provide an adequate service.

ADD is something that lots of clever and creative people are said to suffer from. Only some fall to such levels as Brian Willoughby. It must be remembered that as well as having ADD a condition, as we now know, that depends hugely on an early diagnosis for a positive outcome Brian Willoughby also suffered brain injuries as a result of a motorbike accident.

We do not in any way condone the foul deeds of Brian Willoughby. But surely, if we want to create a society where there are fewer such deeds, we must try to reach a proper understanding of what happened here and in other such cases. There was a time when we burnt witches at the stake. Are we now making monsters out of people who suffer from psychiatric illnesses and brain damage?

ADD is said to affect up to 5% of the population a conservative figure, according to some experts. We would like to say on their behalf that only a small, neglected minority comes to such an end as Brian Willoughby.

The vast majority are regular, law-abiding citizens who cope with their disability as best they can.

Many are useful, understanding, creative people who make a real contribution to our society. Let us not create monsters where there are none.

Let us create a society where we can have discussion and understanding.

Dymphna O'Connell, secretary,

Anne Mangan, chairperson,

Clare Attention Deficit Disorder Assoc.,

24, McNamara Park,

Ennis,

Co Clare.