A FORMER drug user and homeless man who turned his life around is attempting to walk 1,000 miles to raise awareness about mental health.

Swindon’s Steven Carr will set off on his eight-week expedition from Land’s End to John O’ Groats on Monday (February 1), as he looks to share his experiences and tell people how to overcome their demons.

“It’s quite a big challenge and I’ve not done anything to this extent,” said Mr Carr, of Bramwell Close.

“I will literally be on my own with £100 and my tent and some clothes.

“If I can get from one end of the country to the other with just these I think that’s a massive thing.

“I’ll be stopping off at two homeless shelters and two mental health charities to help raise awareness for them and find out what they do on a day-to-day basis.

“There’s lots of help out there but one in four people suffer with mental health issues.”

Mr Carr’s troubles began at the age of 15 when his older brother, Paul, was killed in a car crash along with four other children in 1991, and soon after his parents divorced and he was forced to leave home.

After eventually settling into a job and buying a house in his 30s, Mr Carr became addicted to cocaine which almost cost him his life.

“I never sought help for the trauma of my brother’s death and while growing up I masked it with continual debauchery of alcohol, cigarettes and drugs,” said the 39-year-old.

“My drug habit cost me £100 a day and I lost everything, I was homeless, and I just thought that’s it I want to go so I had a cocktail of drugs, alcohol and legal highs but somehow I survived.”

After attempting to take his life a further three times only months ago, close friends and organisations that specialise in mental health came to his rescue and Mr Carr has since set up website Mind Canyon, which offers help for those suffering mental illness.

“The more people who would like to support what I’m doing the bigger I can make it,” added Mr Carr.

“I met with a couple of amazing ladies and got them to show me around Bath and get them to tell me why they are feeling down and they knew about my experiences because they had read the site.

“There was one lady who used to be a nurse but she was on benefits and in a bad way and it’s sad because she’s a very intelligent women.

“Some traumas just destroy people but I would love to help others.

“Of course there’s remorse at what I’ve done and you can’t change the past but you can affect the future.”

To follow Mr Carr’s expedition, visit http://mindcanyon.com/