Actor Fahadh Faasil recently revealed that he was clinically diagnosed with ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at 41 years of age. ADHD is a neurodivergent condition usually diagnosed in childhood, and several adults who get a late diagnosis often face difficulties throughout their adulthood because of a lack of understanding of the condition. Fahadh’s comment in public about having ADHD is important to the conversation about neurodivergence in adults — which is usually dismissed by society.
The actor was speaking at the inauguration of the Peace Valley School, a school for disabled children in Kerala’s Kothamangalam in Ernakulam district. “When I reached here, Mr Sabith accompanied me while touring the facilities. There is a disorder called ADHD. I asked him if it was possible to cure ADHD. He told me it is easily curable if it is diagnosed during childhood. I asked him if it could be cured if diagnosed at 41. I am clinically diagnosed with ADHD. Even if it’s not that big, I too have some traits of the disorder,” Fahadh said.
The ADHD Association says that people with ADHD may pick up and process information differently from their peers owing to neurodivergence — a condition where a person’s brain functions differently from what is typically accepted as the average, or ‘neurotypical’ behaviour. Neurodivergent conditions like autism, ADHD, ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), and dyslexia, are not a measure of a person’s intelligence, though they may trigger slight variations in how the person processes things.
For instance, people with ADHD may go through phases of being unable to concentrate on timely tasks, and may also experience phases of hyperactivity when they can complete a large amount of work in a short period of time. They may also sometimes feel unable to do any work no matter how hard they try.
However, it is important to note that ADHD can be managed with medication and therapy, and the ADHD Association also notes that certain ADHD traits like having more energy levels and greater spontaneity can become strengths when harnessed with positive mentorship.
Though ADHD affects several people, both adults and children, educational institutions and workplaces are seldom sensitised to their needs. In India, there is no legal mandate for schools or workplaces to put ADHD-friendly mechanisms in place and a lack of understanding of the condition leads society to label people with ADHD and other neurodivergence as ‘lazy’, insincere, or uncaring.
But there have been many shining examples of individuals who have successfully managed their ADHD to minimise its impact on the pursuit of their talents, Fahadh Faasil himself being a case in point. The actor, who has been on a winning streak with his recent performances, was last seen in the Malayalam film Aavesham, in which he plays the whacky Ranga Annan, a local don in Bengaluru, who attempts to be friends with a group of college students. His portrayal of characters in Kumbalangi Nights, Pushpa, Joji, and Maamannan, among other movies catapulted him to pan-India stardom with fans across languages.
Read: Aavesham to Pushpa: Fahadh Faasil’s shades of deranged, deluded, and demonic