#15: Film Review — The Disruptors
When I heard about “The Disruptors”, I was excited to see it and had to watch it right away. One could say I was hyper about it. The film is a documentary about ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and the lives of many people who have this Neurodiverse condition. They share stories of their struggles and their success.
Showcase
After providing a quick introduction to ADHD, “The Disruptors” has a showcase of many famous celebrities who have ADHD. I really enjoyed seeing this because it helps people like me with ADHD to better appreciate the condition instead of hating myself. It also rams home the point that these people who have ADHD are very much celebrated and their ADHD gave them an advantage that got them where they are now. Here is a list:
Scott Kelly — Former NASA Astronaut
will.i.am — Musician & Entrepreneur
Jillian Michaels — Celebrity personal trainer
Howie Mandell — TV host and comedian
David Neeleman — Founder, JetBlue Airways
Michelle Carter — Olympic Gold Medalist
Steve Madden — Fashion designer and entrepreneur
Terry Bradshaw — Hall of fame quarterback
Glenn Beck — Political pundit and entrepreneur
Kenny Dichter — Founder and CEO, Wheels Up
Tom Scott — Founder, Nantucket Nectars & the Nantucket Project
Paris Hilton — DJ & Entrepreneur
Tim Armstrong — Founder & CEO, Flowcode/dtx
Ty Pennington — TV Host & Carpenter
Paul Orfalea — Founder, Kinko’s
Inconvenient Truths
The film also highlights many inconvenient truths about ADHD. For example, girls often go misdiagnosed because they are not hyperactive as boys are. Instead, girls would fidget, bite their nails, twist their hair, or tap their toes. This leads to mainstream thinking that ADHD affects only boys and not girls.
In addition, the film discusses some of the negative impacts of ADHD. This includes: high rates of divorce, depression, anxiety, poor performance at work, and substance abuse. Some of these I have experience with myself. The other side to it is how parents of kids with ADHD are affected, they sometimes drink more and are quick to lose patience. It was a little bit emotional to me seeing one mother explain that she tells her ADHD daughter that she makes the family look bad. In Asian cultures, this is very powerful negative stigma that prevents people with Neurodiverse conditions such as ADHD from getting the help they need.
Schools are hard too. ADHD students are seen as disobedient or noncompliant. Stories depicted showing teachers forgetting and ignoring ADHD students was very troubling to watch. Which of course led to bullying, teasing, and low self-esteem. Many of these stories, I relate to having gone through them myself when I was growing up.
Most importantly the film shines a light on how underserved and underrepresented communities are suffering due to lack of information, resources, and affordable ADHD treatment. My friends from the Neurodiversity community can attest to this. The USA and the world need to do more.
Traits
Inversely, the film does an amazing job describing the more positive traits associated with ADHD: Thinking out of the box, resilience, grit, big heartedness, creativity, being energetic, and multitasking. This is backed up with many examples from people who shared how they applied their gifts to lead amazing careers. It was really encouraging and eye-opening hearing how successful people can be when they do not allow ADHD to hold them back, instead using it to their advantage.
The film also interviews many ADHD thought leaders who provide their perspectives. Some of the tips for parents are very powerful. One example: “Stop longing for the child you wanted and accept the child that you have, make it your mission as their shepherd to help them to develop their talents”. Another example: “Feel good about what strengths they do have and shore up their weaknesses, to be the best versions of themselves they could be”. Powerful stuff.
Issues
Some parts of the film that made me cringe. First, there was absolutely no mention of IEPs (Individualized Education Plans). IEPs are a critical part of accommodations for ADHD students in school which many parents struggle with and often getting denied or lost in red tape. Second, some parents in the film feel that their ADHD children will grow out of ADHD and just figure it out. This is deeply disturbing and offensive since ADHD cannot be cured and ADHD does not go away when they become adults. Third, the film puts too much emphasis and focus on ADHD in kids, neglecting that many adults also have ADHD. The film does have many amazing stories from celebrities and famous people, but it would have been great to see film cover some adults with ADHD who are not famous. Doing so would help to break the stigma that ADHD only affects kids.
Hope
Despite all this, “The Disruptors” offers many messages of hope for people like me who have ADHD. Too often, many of us with ADHD struggle trying to be normal, trying to fit in or fighting to accept ourselves. Overall, a good film about ADHD, but it could have been better. One of the quotes at the end of the film was truly inspirational.
“There’s nothing wrong with you. Your brain is beautiful. You’re freaking awesome”.
-will.i.am
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.
