Quick! Catch this excellently informative and entertaining documentary on ADHD before it goes offline 9/25/09. [Update: That limited preview is now unavailable, but you can view the film’s trailer and buy a copy.]
In case you’re wondering about the headline (Action! Camera! Lights!), it’s an homage to “Fire! Ready! Aim!” — a tongue-in-cheek description of ADHD-related impulsivity.
About the film: Canadian comedy legend Patrick McKenna is after the truth. “Everything you think you know about A.D.D. is wrong.” In this one hour documentary he talks to researchers, specialists and doctors about A.D.D. and A.D.H.D.. He also chats with ordinary Canadians & Americans who are directly dealing with the challenges of this common problem. Interwoven with these insights, Patrick shares his own life story and his struggle with undiagnosed and untreated A.D.H.D, and now his success taking it on Adult A.D.D..
Read more at the website, including a transcript of the film.
Patrick MeKenna bio:
For Patrick McKenna the making of A.D.D. & Loving It was a labour of love, and a personal journey through a sometimes troubled childhood. When he first signed on, he believed that his Attention Deficit Disorder was a gift. But as he spoke with the top experts across North America he began to see that for most people this syndrome sabotages lives and causes untold suffering. Working with Dr. Umesh Jain at CAMH, Patrick also recognized for the first time the toll that A.D.D. had taken on his family and himself.
With the support of his wife Janis, Patrick found the courage to talk openly about something he had always tried to hide. In the process he gained a deeper understanding and power around the challenges of A.D.D., and a new appreciation of his own accomplishments. A fun project became a healing process and a mission to get the truth out. Read more of Patrick McKenna’s bio here:
Rick Green bio:
For Rick Green, this documentary draws upon his passion for education, his gift for comedy and a personal commitment to transform our view of Mental Health. Rick knows first hand that when diagnosed and treated A.D.D. can become a strength. His goal is to transform how Canadians view this misunderstood syndrome. In fact, before this documentary had been delivered to Global TV it had won Rick the 2009 CAMH ‘Transforming Lives’ award.
Rick Green graduated from the University of Waterloo with a B.Sc.. In 2008 he was named one of U of W’s top 50 Science Graduates of the past 50 Years. As a demonstrator at the Ontario Science Centre Rick developed and performed numerous original programs, science plays and exhibits.
In 1979 he plunged into show biz full time as a member of The Frantics comedy troupe. Over 8 years they created and performed hundreds of stage shows, radio programs, albums, and the groundbreaking TV series Four On The Floor. In 2003, the Frantics again performed on stage and television.
In 1989, Rick became ‘Commander Rick’, writer and host of TVO’s long running speculative fiction series Prisoners of Gravity. That same year, Rick cocreated The Red Green Show, writing & performing for 11 seasons. Read more of Rick Green’s bio here.
Ava Green bio:
Ava Green may be the only person who worked on this documentary who is not A.D.D.. In fact, her ability to focus, to find the story, to link ideas, and to build connections is what has made her an award winning editor.
Ava brings 25 years of experience in every aspect of television, from preproduction to post production. A pioneer when women were few and far between in the studio and control room, Ava earned high praise from everyone she worked with. Her strong technical knowledge is backed by a warm, loving attitude. When there’s a problem, everyone goes to Ava.
Along the way Ava has worked on every style of television, from hockey broadcasts, to musical variety specials, to wrestling! As the editor on 15 seasons of The Red Green Show, 7 seasons of History Bites, The Frantics Reunion Special, Sons of Butcher, and Listen Missy, showcased her gift for finding the comedy, building the punch-line and letting the performers shine. When producers want an editor who can ‘find the funny,’ they call on Ava.
Thanks for your comments, Mrs. Martin and C. I know you are not alone; in fact, you are expressing the opinion of hundreds (if not thousands) of people I’ve talked with over the years.
I am working on a post addressing the issues you mention — for http://www.ADHDPartner.org
Look for it soon!
Some people just don’t understand the frustration of having to put out fires constantly and the loneliness of being the one to be called controlling and a fifth grade teacher type as a result. I DIDN’T START OUT THIS WAY! I HAD TO BECOME THAT WAY AFTER YEARS OF SH*T! It is all light and fluffy until the sh*t hits the fan and then people stand back and say OH, I guess she just wasn’t the right one, hmmph!
I live in a province where the leading ADHD clinic, headed by one of the experts on this video, has been ‘temporarily’ closed because of too long a waiting list. Yet I am lucky to speak to any Dr. who really gets the idea of what ADD is and means in a marriage.
Other than that, yeah the video was highly entertaining and reminded me of the early days. If my partner was in the right job, i.e. highly employed T.V. personality I would be rolling on the sofa with him too, laughing at all the silly little addisms. Yup, I’m bitter. But hey, I guess it’s a start at awareness, right?
As wife to a 42 year old “great guy” who was diagnosed several months ago, I was glad to see accuracy, and a pulling together of the realities of having and living with someone who has adult ADHD.
I have great sadness, though, that my husband, 15 years ago, did not “marry the right person”. I am unable to be as laid back as seems necessary to both his and my peace. The stress of dealing with his erratic focus, erratic empathy and intimidating certainty of his own opinion of the moment (no big picture), has left me with someone who is not “there” for me. And the distance that creates hurts him, too.
Thanks for helping me see that I can’t be his “fifth grade teacher”, or relax about impulsive, thoughtless decisions that affect me. I have my own problems and life goals to address, and dealing with his has cost me dearly in terms of time, emotional energy and motivation. I’ve been so distracted and hurt by him, that my life has gone downhill, perhaps irreparably.
Our finances, due to impulsive decisions with long term relationship implications, are such that the type coaching and therapy that is clearly REQUIRED are out of our reach…..but a divorce can be obtained through legal aid. Too bad for our non-add 11 year old son.