Inside Our ADHD Minds serves as a sequel to Chris Packham’s impactful 2023 documentary Inside Our Autistic Minds. In that earlier film, Packham shared his own experiences with anxiety to shed light on the autistic experience for the benefit of families and a broader television audience. The approach here is quite similar. Packham shares personal anecdotes, engages with experts, incorporates expressive short films, and plans to explore dyslexia in the next episode.
The outcome is a collection of striking, enlightening programs that feel more educational than preachy. Packham pushes back against the label “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,” pointing out that it’s not about lacking attention but rather about struggling to focus it. The documentary adopts two perspectives: first, Packham interviews experts who provide frameworks for understanding ADHD. For instance, having ADHD is likened to trying to manage six TVs in your mind at once, amidst low dopamine levels and heightened risks for anxiety and depression. Another expert discusses how ADHD symptoms manifest differently in boys and girls, highlighting how recent diagnoses have shown a gender bias, often leading to later diagnoses for women.
However, the spotlight shines primarily on two participants, Henry and Joe. They’re given the chance to express their inner thoughts through short films, similar to the format used for those in the autistic documentary. Henry was diagnosed with ADHD in his early twenties while pursuing his A levels. Though he tried medication, he disliked its effects. Now, he works as a lively tour guide in Soho. Yet, behind that vivacity, he opens up about the struggles in his day-to-day life and the fear that his family might not understand his true self. There are times he forgets to eat, and his living space reflects his chaos. He worries about being perceived as lazy or what his parents might think if they truly knew him.
In contrast, Joe was diagnosed later, feeling adrift after being labeled “too much” throughout her life. With 14 different careers to her name, she recounts her episodes of crisis at work. It wasn’t until her son mentioned a friend with ADHD that she began to piece together what was happening. While medication helped her, like Henry, she grapples with feelings of shame and the weight of negative perceptions.
The series delves into the complexities of neurodiversity, emphasizing the variability in personal experiences shaped by gender, generation, environment, and possibly social class. Henry seeks validation from supportive parents who, despite their encouragement, resist notions of needing to ‘fix’ him. He seems to be coming to terms with the fact that he will navigate life differently. Through his filmmaking, he aspires for his family to appreciate his everyday experiences, including routine matters like remembering important meetings.
For Joe, the emotional stakes are higher. She yearns for those around her to comprehend the impact of her diagnosis and the sadness stemming from missed opportunities for early support. She notes that her experiences with menopause felt particularly tumultuous in relation to her ADHD, straining her relationships. Ongoing feelings of guilt and sadness haunt her. For both Joe and Henry, conversing with Packham and creating their films offers a form of self-expression that had previously eluded them.
This documentary arrives at a significant moment. One woman, interviewed during a Bristol art workshop for those with ADHD, reflected on how her doctors suggested her struggles were linked to the TikTok phenomenon. While the film doesn’t address the far-right rhetoric directly, Packham and his team effectively counter these harmful narratives by sharing authentic stories and harnessing the humanizing aspect of artistic expression.
