The Disruptors, the First Comprehensive Documentary on ADHD, Seeks to Fundamentally Reframe ADHD During October's ADHD Awareness Month, While Bringing Attention to Racial Disparities with Diagnosis and Treatment.
Award-Winning, Star-Studded Documentary Aims to Change the conversation around ADHD
NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- THE DISRUPTORS – the first definitive, comprehensive documentary film on ADHD, one of the most commonly diagnosed, and widely misunderstood neurological conditions in the world today – hopes to change the conversation about ADHD during October ADHD Awareness Month. The award-winning film is available on Apple TV/iTunes, Amazon Prime, Youtube/Google Play and VUDU.
Over seven million US children, and over 23 million adults are diagnosed with ADHD. THE DISRUPTORS provides an inside look at five families currently living with this condition. The award-winning documentary film also hears from the nation's top experts on ADHD, and spotlights a small army of high-profile, game-changing personalities about their ADHD, as they testify to the challenges as well as the "super skills" they have leveraged to achieve great success.
Created and produced by Emmy-nominated producer, Nancy Armstrong, acclaimed producer Kristin Lazure, and award-winning director Stephanie Soechtig, in collaboration with Happy Warrior Media and Atlas Films, the film takes an immersive look inside our country's approach to ADHD, debunking the most harmful myths and reframing our perspective on this diagnosis.
ADHD Awareness Month is a critical time to call attention to the condition, especially how it disproportionately affects minority children. Dr. Yamalis Diaz, Clinical Assistant Professor at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, remarks: "There is generally less knowledge and awareness about ADHD in minority and low-income communities, and unfortunately, less access to effective treatment for the condition. Research has demonstrated that ethnically minority parents may be less likely to recognize ADHD as a concern that would warrant seeking mental health treatment and therefore may not seek treatment or may seek treatment much later compared to white and/or higher income parents. Subsequently, when they do seek treatment, they may have less access to high-quality and effective treatment options."
Indeed, the disparity present in both diagnosing and treating ADHD varies vastly based on socioeconomic status, and often can have the inverse effect. Dr. Diaz elaborates: "Despite the lower level of treatment-seeking, research also shows that ethnic minority children may be more likely to be rated as having higher levels of ADHD symptoms and be more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. This suggests an overall bias in the way ethnic minority children are assessed and diagnosed, often leading to overdiagnosis or misdiagnosis in these communities."
"I made this film to fundamentally reframe what we, as a society, understand about ADHD, from a deficit/disorder model to one that is much more dimensionsional, and takes into account the inner-workings of the ADHD brain. Managed properly, ADHD can be an asset and not a liability, but diagnosis and treatment are essential. Additionally, bringing specific attention to the socioeconomic and racial disparities that exist in both diagnosis and treatment for ADHD is a key message of the film. We are failing to recognize and treat ADHD properly in many of these communities, resulting in very poor short and long-term outcomes for these children, and that's an absolute tragedy for our country," said Armstrong.
THE DISRUPTORS aims to de-stigmatize ADHD by featuring some of the most successful artists, olympians, leaders and businesspeople of our time. Subjects include award-winning American rapper & producer will.i.am; American media personality Paris Hilton, Hall of Fame astronaut Scott Kelly, comedian, actor & television host Howie Mandel, JetBlue founder David Neeleman, three-time Olympian Michelle Carter, fashion designer & businessman Steve Madden, personal trainer & television personality Jillian Michaels, former professional football player Terry Bradshaw, former chairman & CEO of AOL Tim Armstrong, Nantucket Nectars and The Nantucket Project founder Tom Scott, Entrepreneur and Wheels Up CEO Kenny Dichter and more.
"The diagnosis of ADHD, coupled with the various interventions we now have, can change a life—at any age—forever for the better, says Dr. Ned Hallowell, M.D., one of the country's foremost medical experts on ADHD. Lifelong struggles give way to streamlined success. Chaos yields to structure. Conflicts give way to cooperation. Years of frustration and underachievement fade away as you surprise yourself and the world by not only living up to your potential but actually loving life while you do so. The diagnosis and treatment of ADHD can turn a life of frustration at best and at worst, abject misery—including depression, addiction, broken relationships and isolation—into a life of fulfillment and joy. Untreated, ADHD can ruin a life. But treated, it can take you to wherever you want to go."
"We applaud The Disruptors for providing such an honest and balanced look inside life with ADHD," said Laurie Kulikosky, Incoming CEO of CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)—the leading nonprofit organization serving the ADHD community. "The film helps to dispel numerous myths that surround ADHD, speaks to the importance of proper diagnosis and treatment, and repositions the perceived negatives of this common neurodevelopmental disorder—distractibility, impulsivity and hyperactivity, as positive gifts—curiosity, creativity, and energy—that should be celebrated."
ABOUT THE PRODUCER:
Nancy Armstrong is an Emmy-nominated producer and Executive Producer at Happy Warrior Media. Previously, she co-founded the award-winning women's leadership and media platform, MAKERS, which was named one of the 100 best websites for women by Forbes, and received the Women's Media Center Award for its ground-breaking contribution to women, history, and America. Nancy was inspired to create this film as a result of her family's experiences navigating life with ADHD.
FILM FESTIVAL & AWARDS
- Official Winner San Diego International Film Festival 2021: Audience Choice Award
- Official Winner Award of Excellence - Accolade Global Film Competition 2021
- Official Selection Nantucket Film Festival 2021
- Official Nominee Greenwich International Film Festival 2021: Social Impact Award
- Official Selection Studio City Film Festival 2021
- Official Selection Awareness Festival 2021
OFFICIAL TRAILER & WEBSITE:
OFFICIAL SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES:
ABOUT ATLAS FILMS
Atlas Films is the production company behind the critically acclaimed films FED UP, The Devil We Know, Under the Gun, Knock Down the House, and more.
MEDIA & PRESS INQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT:
Shauna Brook Marketing & Communications
[email protected]
SOURCE Happy Warrior Media
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