- When a 35-year-old film student is diagnosed with ADHD, she turns the camera on herself to question her past, her future, and why women are often under diagnosed with this misunderstood disorder.
- From post it notes to magnets, keys, pens, rubber bands, & receipts, the unorganized chaos of a junk drawer is the perfect representation of what Afton Quast Saler's brain feels like every day. Growing up, she knew she wasn't like the other kids but never really understood why and doctors didn't seem to be much help. She was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, rapid cycle bipolar, bipolar two fibromyalgia, addiction disorders, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, insomnia, & dyslexia - but none of those diagnoses felt right. It isn't until March 2020, in the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, that Afton is diagnosed with ADHD in her 3rd year at the USC School of Cinematic Arts in which she finally feels like this diagnosis is the one to end all other diagnoses. In a unique way to cope with this new information, she courageously decides to put herself in front of the camera and with the help of her husband, Jesse, documents this very personal journey.
Her bible soons becomes the 1995 book, Women with Attention Deficit Disorder: Embrace Your Differences and Transform Your Life as she learns that she is not the only young girl to have silently suffered in school. In fact, women with ADHD are more often under-diagnosed than men as well as commonly misdiagnosed and treated for anxiety and mood disorders as primary diagnoses. Finally feeling understood, Afton is thrilled to have the opportunity to meet the author of the book and superstar in the ADHD world, Sari Solden. With Sari's help, Afton is able to recognize that the negative thoughts and feelings she was having throughout her life weren't from the learning disability itself but rather the shame that comes from not being able to fully be her genuine self.
What originally started as a personal journey becomes something much bigger as Afton wishes to use this film to reduce the shame and stigma surrounding Nuerodivergent brains. In learning to accept not only her brain, but her entire identity, she hopes it will inspire other Neurodivergent women to embrace their differences rather than try to fix them.
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