The devastated parents of a talented teenager who made regular appearances on ITV's This Morning have issued a powerful plea for improved ADHD screening in educational and healthcare settings, following their son's tragic death at just nineteen years old.
A Life Cut Short
Matthew Lock, a Labour councillor and campaigner from Sefton in Merseyside, took his own life in 2023 after developing addictions to alcohol and ketamine, which his parents Richard and Christine believe were directly linked to his undiagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Despite being diagnosed as autistic at fourteen, Matthew's ADHD remained unrecognised for years, leaving him and his family struggling without crucial support or understanding of his condition.
The Hidden Link Between ADHD and Addiction
Christine Lock revealed to The Mirror that her son was essentially self-medicating through his drinking, with mounting research indicating a strong connection between ADHD and substance dependency.
"We could have had different conversations with Matthew and we could have understood each other, but we didn't understand Matthew," Christine explained emotionally. "He didn't understand himself."
Richard added that it was only after their son's death that they discovered approximately half of people with ADHD experience addiction problems, whether to substances, gambling, or eating disorders.
A Campaign Born From Grief
In response to their unimaginable loss, the Locks established the Matthew Lock ADHD Charity to address the extraordinary waiting times families face for diagnoses and to highlight the condition's severe consequences when left untreated.
They advocate for digital screening tools in schools and enhanced training for general practitioners, believing these measures could transform support for the estimated one in twenty children affected by ADHD.
"If a child needs a pair of glasses or a crutch or anything to help them, you wouldn't deny it to them," Christine stated. "So it's help, it's accommodation, it's strategies, coping mechanisms and understanding how the ADHD brain works."
Parliamentary Support for Change
The family's campaign has gained political traction, with Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson addressing the issue in Parliament and calling for urgent improvements to ADHD screening and support systems.
Esterson, who knew Matthew personally, emphasised that more than 600,000 people are currently waiting for ADHD assessments across the country, with delays having potentially devastating consequences.
"Early diagnosis changes lives — delays cost them," the MP asserted. "We need faster ADHD assessments backed by GPs and nurses, so people get help when it actually matters."
Remembering Matthew
Beyond his campaigning work and television appearances, Matthew was remembered by his mother as a funny, kind young man with a good group of friends who was "always doing something in the community."
He developed an unusual fascination with vacuum cleaners, amassing a collection of over 150 models and earning the nickname TheVacMat for his reviews on This Morning.
Christine believed her son was destined for a political career, possibly even becoming a Member of Parliament, making his loss at such a young age particularly poignant for those who knew him.
The family's campaign continues to gather momentum as they work to ensure other children receive the understanding and support Matthew needed but never fully obtained during his lifetime.
