Greenwich Resident Hopes To End The Stigma Of ADHD With Documentary

GREENWICH, CT — Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed and widely misunderstood neurological conditions in the world.

One Greenwich resident is hoping to shed light on the disorder, and end the stigma associated with it.

"The Disruptors," a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive documentary about ADHD which came out in 2021, was released on Apple TV/iTunes, Vudu TVOD and Google Play last week.

The film was created and produced by Greenwich resident and Emmy-nominated producer Nancy Armstrong, acclaimed producer Kristin Lazure and award-winning director Stephanie Soechtig, in collaboration with Happy Warrior Media and Atlas Films.

After meeting with ADHD expert and adult psychiatrist Dr. Ned Hallowell and learning about his "strengths-based" approach to ADHD, Armstrong was inspired to make the film.

"I'm so excited to finally have the film out there in the world," Armstrong told Patch. "I wanted to do this film for many years because I was raising three children with ADHD and there was no film like this."

The film hears from ADHD experts, follows five families currently living with ADHD and also spotlights several celebrities who have overcome the challenges of the disorder and used their "super skills" to achieve success.

Some celebrities in the film include: rapper and producer Will.i.am; media personality Paris Hilton; astronaut Scott Kelly; comedian, actor and television host Howie Mandel; fashion designer and businessman Steve Madden; former professional football player Terry Bradshaw; former chairman & CEO of AOL Tim Armstrong, who is Nancy's husband; and many other notable figures.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9.4 percent of children have been diagnosed with ADHD.

The key symptoms of ADHD are distractibility, hyperactivity and impulsivity, which can be very disruptive to those who are diagnosed. But each of those words can be flipped upside and down and turned into strengths, Armstrong said, citing Hallowell's strengths-based approach.

For example, distractibility can be turned into curiosity, impulsivity into creativity and hyperactivity into energy.

"I was lucky to have access to some really great experts that I know not everyone has access to. I wanted to democratize the experts and the resources and give the world a full picture of what ADHD is from all the research that I had done over the course of 15-20 years," Armstrong said.

Armstrong hopes the film reaches parents of children who have ADHD.

"Parents are in such a struggle raising children with ADHD because it's really difficult, and you always feel like you're not doing a good job," Armstrong said. "The most important thing is to liberate parents to know that they're not alone and to hang in there, because it does get easier as kids get older."

Armstrong noted that what kids with ADHD need, apart from diagnosis and treatment, is love and support from their parents. If ADHD is properly managed and the challenges are met, the disorder can be turned into a big asset.

When those challenges aren't dealt with, children tend to spiral, Armstrong said, which can lead to poor outcomes later in life.

"You have to manage your challenges in order to unwrap your gifts," Armstrong said.

She also hopes the film can be used as a tool to educate teachers.

"If teachers don't understand what's going on with your child and you don't have a real plan to put in place and help your child get through K-12 education, it's so terrible, and it's demoralizing for the kids and defeating for parents."

The film has been shown at multiple film festivals, and won the San Diego International Film Festival's Audience Choice Award, and was nominated for the Greenwich International Film Festival's Social Impact Award last year.

Since the film was made available on several streaming services last week, Armstrong said the reaction has been overwhelming and far-reaching across the globe.

"The parent response is unbelievable. The letters I'm getting give me chills up and down my body," Armstrong said. "The parents finally have a film that shows their journey as well as their children's."

For more on "The Disruptors," follow the film on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

You can also scan this photo to be taken to the film's website for more information