Belfast dad reveals horrific pain of losing son to suicide at just 16 years old
Schoolboy Aaron had been through the wringer with his mental health, but he finally seemed to be winning a battle against his demons - and the addiction to cannabis and legals highs he’d been fighting since the age of just 13.
“The figures are awful,” said engineer Paul, speaking out at the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Week. “He’d had to pull back from sport because there were a few worries about his health, so we were happy he’d thrown himself into the work, and he got a real sense of achievement from it.”“The school was great, and he settled in OK, but he started to struggle a bit academically,” said Paul.
“Things got worse pretty quickly,” said Paul. “His behaviour at home and school deteriorated. At home he’d get aggressive and then he’d disappear. Sometimes he'd be out all night and we’d be beside ourselves with worry. "Before things got bad he was always picture perfect, he showered every day religiously and tied his shoes a particular way.In one of the most frightening incidents Paul recalls, Aaron walked out in front of a bus in Belfast city centre in the autumn of 2015, and was arrested by police for jaywalking.
“He was getting back on track at school and they were really supportive. They were going to put him through his exams, so he could get that feeling of achievement he wanted.” And while things seemed to be on the up, a few days before his death, the fragility of Aaron’s mental health became clear once again.
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