The Website: www.totallyadd.com
The Film: http://news.globaltv.com/Loving/2009300/story.html

Description of the Film from the totallyadd.com website. The description can be found at: http://totallyadd.com/about/the-film/

ADD & Loving It?! is a refreshing, witty and inspiring documentary about adult Attention Deficit Disorder (also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD). The one-hour film, which will be broadcast on Canwest Global Television in the fall, is hosted by actor/comedian Patrick McKenna and written, produced and directed by fellow comedian, Rick Green.

ADD & Loving It?! explores and explains the disorder by following Patrick’s journey for a diagnosis so he can confirm what he’s always suspected – that he has ADD. Along the way, Patrick and his wife Janis open up about their challenges and struggles, something Janis admits “we’ve spent our whole lives trying to hide.”

Patrick notes, “Some people think the diagnosis is the kiss of death, while others think there’s no such thing; it’s nothing, it’s all made up.” But after talking with the experts and with ordinary people, as well as drawing from his own experience, he confirms that ADD is real. It’s genetic, it can destroy lives, and adults with ADD have a higher rate of accidents, addictions, suicide, bankruptcy, divorce, illegal drug use and financial problems.

Patrick uses his gift of comedy to demonstrate the three characteristics of ADD – inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. He uncovers the 18 symptoms used to diagnose ADD in childhood, and illustrates how these traits develop by adulthood. After all, adults learn not to bounce in their chairs during meetings, while kids in grade three rarely go bankrupt.

Janis guides Patrick through several ADD quizzes and their banter sets a warm, loving tone for the film. Patrick’s high score leads ADD expert Dr. Umesh Jain to diagnose Patrick with ADD. Patrick is stunned but begins to see his life from a whole new perspective and recognizes how much his ADD has cost him and his family. And realization becomes motivation. Now that he knows he has ADD, he can deal with it.

The experts interviewed are among the top names in the field of ADD in North America – Stephen Kurtz, Kate Kelly, Edward Hallowell, Annick Vincent and Margaret Weiss to name a few. No film has ever assembled such a powerhouse team. As each expert explains the details about ADD, he or she is backed up by at least two or three others. What you will see and hear is information from the most reliable sources on the topic of adult ADD.

The film creates recognition and laughter. That in itself is healing, especially for those struggling in isolation. Research has shown that laughter does improve health. While laughter may not be the best or the only medicine, it’s certainly the easiest to swallow.

“Although we’ve had counselling, and I’ve talked about it until I was blue in the face, it wasn’t until my fiancé saw your documentary that he “got it.” … I’ve never been able to put the whole picture together for him.” Focus Group Participant

In the end, Patrick realizes that he had resisted being diagnosed and getting treatment because “pretty much everything I knew was told to me by people who had no idea either.” He finds his own answer to the film title’s question, “You can’t love your ADD. But you can have ADD and love life.”