The whole universe in my suitcase - ADHD Animated Short Film 

The way you illustrated the horribly disorientating nature of time-blindness was incredible. I’ve described it as “accidental time travel” to the neurotypicals in my life, and you nailed it. Thank you so much for this ❤️

This portrays what it's like to be a kid with ADHD so well. This reminded me of being a kid with ADHD having so many creative ideas in my head but being so afraid to share my ideas out of fear that I might get made fun of or that may teachers or parents might tell me no. Also, I love, love, LOVE that this animation shows ADHD from both a boy's and a girl's perspective. This is my favorite portrayal of ADHD in a short film. I think more films like this need to be made.

One is inattentive One is hyperactive

wow. the overflow of creativity, the time blindness, the feeling of being left out/misunderstood, the starring into space, the anxiety, the sensitivity to rejection, the overwhelm of info, the foggy head, the impulsive thinking, the escapism, end the final feeling of belonging when your with people that understand you. it's amazing how much you captured in one animation.

"And I know that my brain is weird" "Let me show that I'm kind" "Please let me be alone." Wow that hits hard.

This gives me goosebumps. I click my pen. I stare into space. I have difficulty concentrating. I don't feel good about myself most of the time. I feel so *seen* watching this. Thanks so much for this. I literally cried.

I just love the ending. Being with ADHD friends means that even when I space out for several minutes and I have no idea what people are talking about, it's no problem. They're not mad I wasn't listening. They know I still care.

THE BUZZING LETTERS WHEN SHE TRIES TO FOCUS I WISH I COULD SHOW JUST THAT CLIP TO EVERYONE FOREVER

This was really touching 😭. I definitely felt represented. In school kids with ADHD are constantly being scolded at when they have little control over their behavior. ADHD is a behavioral disorder after all. So the scenes of the teacher scolding or punishing them, and the kids not understanding why they keep "messing up"... That felt extremely relatable.

The fact that the boy stops playing when he realizes that he is getting out of control really hits me. I don't really feel to competitive in most activities, but because of my adhd I end up defying myself and become reckless. I once asked why i was always picked as the goal keeper in fotball, and ironically enough I was told that I was unpredictable. I guess that's one good thing about recklessness.

I was diagnosed also with ADHD, I couldn't focus in class and I would get distracted. The only thing I could sit down ad do is drawing and painting, I have studied painting in college and doing anything creative is relaxing.

3:18 is probably the most relatable thing I've seen for my adhd. Trying to absorb and learn things and it just all falls out. And the clock spinning on end and having no idea what time it is or where it went because I got lost. There are so many things that come with adhd that no one ever talks about and I'm glad this is here.

I have never seen time blindness shown so accurately. That's exactly what it feels like. Got tears in my eyes, man.

HOLLY CRAP the passing to different environments with the glitch effect was so realistic. Like that's how I remember my life

I relate to the girl (inattentive type); nothing has ever portrayed my childhood experience so accurately. I always felt more present when up in my head, my days seemed to flash by before me, and it seemed like the more I focused on trying to pay attention to my school work, the less possible it was. I was diagnosed as an adult, about four years ago, but it hasn't been until recently that I've really started to research ADHD and to understand what having it really means, and all of the ways it has affected my life. The more things like this that I see, the more seen and validated I feel. Thank you

The segment with the girl got me cryin This felt so real I've never seen something so relatable omfg I dont know if I've ever felt this represented.

What hit me hardest was the portrayal of trying to force yourself to focus and just read the damn textbook... Like pushing two magnets with the same polarity together. That and the time blindness... Basically I relate so hard to the girl's experience.

Adhd combined Type here. I relate to both characters but especially the girl 'cause in my childhood I was her. This video... it hit me, deep down in my feelings and it hurts. But like.. in a healing way. Idk if my brain makes sense right now. Anyway. I'm crying. Thank you so much for this masterpiece and.. can I buy the song somewhere?

This video hits home. I recalled recess being great or being terrible. Kids would not let me play and I often daydream by this tree. I found out later I was not supposed to be by the tree. The staff let me do this because I looked so happy. I called it the Land of Misfits.

I cried watching this cus im realizing just how much it affected my childhood and even who i am today. This is really accurate and definitely hit home

I was diagnosed with ADHD so this story is super accurate. In class it’s super difficult to focus and I usually doodle on my worksheets instead of listening.

I’m crying.. someone finally presented visually how it feels to grow up with adhd... and for BOTH genders!

Thank you for showing the day dreaming aspect, I was a gifted student and doodled constantly to stay aware (I noticed recently I remember exactly what was happening when I was working on a piece, I can hear the podcast, conversation, tv show etc) but because I was skilled for my age I never got in too much trouble for it. But because I was gifted and didn't bounce about, I was never diagnosed until last year. It was a double edged sword being 2e because when something *was* hard, even as an adult, peers and superiors thought I was just being lazy or defiant when it was like... no I seriously am struggling and I *don't know why* I ended up in the hospital 3 times because of stress-induced seizures during college. I'm just really glad people are understanding that ADHD isn't just being hyperactive, and lots of people with ADHD are incredibly gifted individuals who see things others might not. I wouldn't change myself for anything, but man I wish I knew sooner. Also the time travel aspect -- I was diagnosed with depersonalization/derealization because of how bad my fog was and how jarring it was for me to come in and out of focus. Now that I'm medicated I don't feel like I'm sleepwalking through life anymore. It's been amazing.

The time distortion is so true. Just the other year was high school graduation, at least that is how it feels. Now, I feel like something caught up with me. I am almost 40 years old, I have two kids and one has extreme ADHD like myself. I am about to possibly go through a divorce because she has become abusive to me and the kids, I've been in a prison of time is the best way I can describe this feeling. I have two college degrees and barely remember my time in college or how the heck I was able to get through college!!! My mom is now elderly and having issues, my father passed away 10 years ago and it feels like yesterday for some reason, I really do feel like there was sort of time travel on a grand scale. I am really struggling right now and recently started a new job. I am suddenly overwhelmed, I used to draw as my therapy, then I did some traveling in my early to mid-20s till I met my wife. Then I started playing video games to cope with ADHD and recently have decided to quit a few months ago because I was blaming the video games for my lack of attentiveness to what is taking place around me, the kids are 9 and 11 years of age - when did that happen!?!?!? I look older, feel older, and am incredibly alone now. My wife does not understand, nor will she ever. Just like my mother and father never understood why everything was such a struggle for me. This video brings back memories as a child and adult. I get hyper-focused at work and am often described as tenacious - which apparently is not a good quality to have in this world.

I don't know how but I relate to both the boy (hyperactive) and the girl (inattentive). I'm a college student and I've been recently diagnosed with adhd. Most of my childhood I was like the boy, creative, impulsive, adventurous, hyperactive. After I reached puberty I became more like the girl, more anxious, more quiet. My brother said I don't have adhd, just a will power problem and for quite some time, I felt shame for seeking help. But I'm glad I did, I use to live in utter confusion, but things are way more clearer now. Thanks for this wonderful video ❤

Im 42, I received my diagnosis on Friday after years of mental health struggles. A grown women sobbing loudly, I identified with this little girl. Thank you so much for this lovely animation.

When the girl thought of the clock near the end it stressed me out so bad but then the boy grabbed her hand and smiled and I feel ok again. This is too accurate. Thank you for this video.

I doubt I can thank you enough for making this masterpiece. It is so difficult to cope with ADHD, and most people don’t even understand it...

This is so good, i have combined ADHD and i really related to this, the stress of the time blindness was very accurate, and the way the kid tried to shove the information into their head just to puke it out didn't even feel like a metaphor, it's just so accurate!

My older sister has ADHD and this really helps me understand what she's going through! I feel bad for her :( Thank you so much for this - thank you for spreading awareness!

I was diagnosed a few days ago. I saw your video and started crying. Finally, after 23 years I feel that someone understands me. And more importantly, I understand myself. I love this song, it's incredibly relaxing

I Have ADHD & High Functioning Autism & this short film for what I can tell this portrays a boy & a girl who both have ADHD.

The music is hauntingly beautiful and this portrays ADHD so well, I have ADHD

I haven't watched this without crying yet.. Thank you for making this 💚

I’m crying...so beautiful ...I felt represented

The fact that at the end they were all just under a tree instead. Goosebumps. Incredible story. Well done. :')

This video made me cry, I was only diagnosed recently while struggling in university. When I was younger I never felt like I fit in with other children, but since I had good grades, noone suspected I could have ADHD. This video really made me feel understood.

This is literally any kid whose inborn creativity and curiosity has not been crushed by the apathy of grown-ups and the stifling system of sending kids to school so early.

Coming from a kid with ADHD it is extremely hard to pay attention and I am often fidgety and taking medication is so helpful

I watch this video to cry. To be angry, happy, furious, sad, to cry. I love it. I truly do. I need to cry.

I'm not crying! You're crying 😢! I was the one staring out the window, at the blank spot on the wall, or just the unfilled space in front of me. There never seemed to be enough time and yet school took FOR-EV-er! Like many here, there was no such thing in school as ADHD there were just those who didn't apply themselves, live up to their potential, or needed a firmer hand at home. Fortunately, everybody knew my parents and knew that the last one wasn't an issue. It wasn't until applying for Disability that I received an actual diagnosis (+_ 50 years old). So late, but it explained so much!

This is absolutely beautiful and so moving. The little boy and girl are my brother and me. My brother even created a beautiful poster for me a few years ago. It's of me as a little girl sitting in a tree with a teddy staring into the universe, so like the little girl in the film. My head was in much more magical places than school. I only received my diagnosis on Tuesday and I'm 40 years old. I've been feeling quite lost and down about it but this film as really lifted me and made me feel seen. Thank you so much for creating it. 💜

Every teacher should be forced to have all their surviving students visit them at their death bed. That would certainly change the way a lot of them treat their responsibility.

Beautiful! This gorgeous animation got me so emotional, I wish there had been a magical place filled with friends like me, for adhd kids when i was growing up. Instead i had teachers tying me to chairs and taping my mouth shut. I was bullied and humiliated by both teachers and classmates. It got better once i was medicated and as i grew older and wiser and better at managing my symptoms. But I have spent the majority of my life feeling anxious, ashamed, insecure, depressed, frustrated and angry. I wish I could give little me a hug and all the love and understanding she needed. But at least now i'm trying, to give my current self, all the love and understanding she deserves.

I was definitely the kid who would chew through my pencil all the time, but I'm classified as inattentive type. I could relate to both characters!

I have this disorder and I really liked your portrayal of the girl trying to read- the letters all clumping together into jagged black shapes, the buzzing… it really captures exactly how it feels to try to read but get absolutely nowhere.

I love that it displays the way male vs female students tend to display their symptoms

oh dear this hurts. Getting misunderstood as a kid is painful. Masterpiece

The blonde kid was absolutely me in elementary and middle school, and partially through highschool as well (actually had bright blonde hair and blue eyes too). But now, I relate greatly to the other character (my hair is actually darker now too). I'm not noteably hyperactive anymore, but my attention is almost always jumping around, I feel exhausted from my trouble with attention, and now that I'm 25, in college, I have had a wondrously difficult time staying caught up. I'm 25 and didn't find out I have ADHD until about a year ago. And while I am still struggling, after finally finding out about my ADHD I found a program at my university that helps students with ADHD. And since then, I have been doing wonderfully better. Still have a bit to catch up, but really, the storyline depicted is a great way to depict my life so far. Beautiful video.

I was more the kind of kid that blurted out the answers without raising their hand. Or I talked to my friends instead of listening to the teacher. There's so many different ways you can have ADHD and not just a hyperactive boy or a dreamy girl. It's a cute film though!

This reminded me of how i probably missed about 80% of breaktimes at school due to being late, disruptive and not completing homework. Oof it kinda hit hard ngl.

Oh. The time thing hit me so hard, as well as the trying to stuff words into my brain and keep them there. I've had to take extra time to go over the material learned in class to the point that I don't have any free time anymore. It sucks, because I'll put my best effort forward, and it doesn't matter, the result is the same as if I'd never even tried. It feels as if I've gone back in time to fix something, but the universe already had a course predetermined, so no matter what, the result is always the same. I will never forget that I spent an entire week absolutely dedicated to passing a chem test, I still have the pages of notes I copied over and over as well as the flashcards. I walked in, looked over the test, and it's like I never even glanced in the direction of the study guide. I have yet to experience a feeling worse then knowing that you tried your damn best while looking at an F. It's hopeless.

It's even worse when you know you have it and have to force yourself to hide it so no one knows. I hope to get tested soon tho

The thing with the clock struck me at my core. I think my time-blindness has gotten worse as I’ve gotten older. I blink and realize I’ve lost four hours. Sometimes I couldn’t even tell you what I was doing for those four hours. I can’t seem to stay present.

i dont think you know how this affects to the community. for me is one of the few things i’ve ever seen that describes adhd so well, specially the inattentive one. i’ve always feel like no one understands me because all the people that i know who have adhd, have the hyperactive one and i don’t relate about almost anything they might live. this describes it so perfect that without words i felt incredibly understood. THANK YOU

Thank you! My boyfriend has ADHD and I'm trying to understand as much as I can so I can help be a better partner for him and support him. This helps me understand so much more about him now ☺️ this should be something everyone is taught about. Thank you!

i really found myself relating to both characters at different points in my life, it was really healing to watch my experiences be represented so accurately

I had to share this on Facebook tonight, today was a rough day for my son, not because of his actions , in fact he was having a great day, but watching other mistreat him and not understand his difficulties can be truly exhausting. You have displayed a visual representation of my little boy- spirited and unique. Ty

I was able to feel so much that girl felt.... I remember my pencil case being filled with notes from my mom to stopp "daydreaming". I still know that disheartening feeling...

This is so accurate! Growing up, I was definitely that young girl. I'm sure that if I hadn't been homeschooled by my parents, someone other than myself would've caught that I wasn't "normal" before I found out only recently

Not me watching this over and over and crying because I feel so seen and understood. 😭 wish I could give this more than one like. I sent it to all the ADHDers in my life. I think clinicians and teachers often focus more on the external presentation of ADHD than what's actually going on inside of us. I like that this video shows the hurt we feel when we're rejected or disciplined for things that aren't in our control. I like that it shows that big sigh of relief when we find others that think like us :) when we find people that don't shame us for being ourselves. 💜

When I saw him get up to sharpen his pencil I was like Ohhhhhh yeah. And trying to keep the words in his head very relatable. I got extra help for my adhd in elementary school but it actually did more damage than good cause I didn’t understand why I was getting the help and the teachers didn’t understand why I needed it.

The part when you connect with other ADHD people. It's like, "YES!!"

I'm not ADHD, but a best friend of mine is, and watching this brought me to tears, no idea why, also I've been trying to learn more about it because I wanna understand these things better ^^

1:54 I can say I can feel that having adhd you may have gotten hit with something in the past of the day but when you get home it still is upsetting and feels like it just happened mixed with all the bad things it just builds up and you end up in tears at the end of the day. Also when you play with people sometimes it feels wrong and that can sometimes make me feel like an outcast

I relate to the one who has the inattentive type (I assume from observing).

Tears I'm in tears right now. I wish every ADHD kid can have this support growing up 💕

The fact that I can relate to the purple kid is absolutely terrifying and amazing at the same time. It’s like the real world is a dream and what’s inside your mind is more real than this dream. I always thought the reason my head always was up in the clouds was because I subconsciously wanted to run away from reality since I had a bad childhood. I was always lonely too, it was kinda peaceful because daydreaming made the painful time run faster but sometimes it got lonely. And I kept falling behind year by year as studies became harder and I couldn’t keep up. I made jokes that I peaked at 4th grade but the idea was depressing. I just started med in college and it’s been straight As ever since :)) I don’t beat myself over the fact that I’m more stupid than others and don’t have the same level of anxiety and depression as before. Now I don’t need to have 24oz of coffee just to feel awake, I can just feel normal like others (at least for 8 hours lol).

This is like the first video that made me cry. Its so beautifull

If there was a school for ADHD people it would be amazing, so many things to focus on and do, it would be my whole life made

Up until recently this ending did not exist. There are many generations mine included that don’t get a happy ending. We are never understood by our peers and quite often still struggle with math and reading. Going to work or paying bills are still monstrous tasks.

I was diagnosed with ADHD about a month ago. Every time I'm offered to do school work, I am filled with, rage, confusion, and sadness. The only things I want to do right now is draw, watch youtube, and play video games. I just entered highschool, and I'm scared for my future.

Recess was true, I gave up on friendships because no one wanted me around so I always hid in the track area behind the woods so no one could see me alone. Being alone is the worst thing I have ever felt. I wanted to have fun like the other kids, I deserved that. But they didn’t like me and it was my fault

I have a classmate with ADHD. We're not close, but I get so mad when teachers get mad at him for his ADHD. He can't control it. Its hurting him more than they know. And I get him, because I have a lot of symptoms of ADHD. But this feels so relatable, for him and for me.

I like how the pen can visualize a fleeting attention span and how with the other kid the pen clicking acts as stimming

No exaggeration when I say that this is the best portrayal of ADHD I have ever seen. I related to everything both the girl and boy went through in this short, especially the girl (doesn’t help that she even somewhat looks like me too lol). The way you showed time distortion, the way you portrayed the inevitability of isolation (when you have ADHD), the way you represented daydreaming, impulsivity, over thinking, plus that one scene - which I swear was ripped right from my childhood - where the boy was the first to dash from his seat, at the sound of the bell. Beautiful. This animation was beautiful.

This video is such a good representation of what it’s like to experience adhd as a child in school. I could relate to so many of the things shown here. A lot of these things are so on point with things I used to do like purposely breaking my pencils as en excuse to move from my desk to sharpen it or clicking my pen while staring out into space and getting lost in my own daydreams. The feeling of shame and confusion for something you can’t even control was so well portrayed here. The way they got in trouble for things out of their control because the teachers simply couldn’t understand is something that happened to me a lot and is very relatable. Also I can’t believe how well the losing track of time thing was portrayed. This was truly a work of art. It hit so close to home that I couldn’t help but cry cause it’s just so realistic. Also I love the ending and that is definitely something I wish I could have got when I was younger and would have probably greatly benefited from.

That tired smile of hers. That gave me goosebumps. I dont know when it started but i guess its been 10 to 15 years ago when i got that tiredness too. I laugh a lot. Am happy. But that tired look and feeling never goes away.

Holy crap that cartoon was shockingly accurate.

This brought back memories of when I was a child in school and I always got in trouble for staring out the window. Even when the teacher moved me, I couldn't stop looking out the window. There were so many issues I had growing up with ADHD, which luckily was acknowledged and diagnosed young. I was just re-diagnosed a couple of years ago at the age of 34. I still struggle so hard with ADHD, just as I did as a child. Now I just get in trouble at work instead. lol

I couldn't hold my tear's.. How bad my childhood was and i am still suffering.. If I could go and meet my past self I would have give her a hug and say that you are good enough, you are okay...

This animation I feel it because it represents ADHD so good Like being misunderstood or time blindness

I am seeking for an adhd diagnosis at 28. This video is amazing, everyone should see it 💙

I relate to this alot, the time blindness, the clutter of information I can't absorb, people judging me and being annoyed by how slow and weird i'am. I never felt like I fit in anywhere and I've been like this for as long as i remember and it's hard to make friends or live a steady life as an adult, I wish I could fix it.

I feel seen watching this. I've chewed on my pens and pencils before, struggled with the passing of time, and even questioned if anything was real with how badly every other symptoms- plus the ones above- got severe. It always got to be too much to take, then I got help years later.

also you describe things that i struggle a lot that i didn’t even know how to describe them in my mind. basically you gave a name (or rather an image) to thing or feelings i couldn’t describe

The stalling at the waste paper bin sharpening all my pencils was definitely me!!!

I almost cried! I related to the girl so much and I remember seeing kids just like the boy growing up and always wanting to be friends with them

This actually made me cry bc it unlocked feelings I hid away and made me feel seen

I saw so much of myself in that girl. Especially missing out on fun activities because I couldn't focus on my assignments. I have memories of sitting at a desk as a kid staring down at words that just would not pass through this invisible barrier into my head, and staring out the window at the kids playing while I was stuck inside with unfinished work. I thought there was something wrong with me (I didn't get diagnosed until I was in high school) and was SO frustrated cause I had good grades and was a good kid, but I never seemed to be able to keep up with my peers. Thank you for this animation! It really captured what it feels like.

I think I have ADHD and started researching a few months ago. I stared seeing a therapist again and tried to tell them but nothing. Recently a good friend thought I knew I had ADHD when I told her I suspected having it. I been watching videos about it ever since and came across this one. When the little girl stared daydreaming I started crying! That little girl was me as a kid but I did not think anyone else ever could feel like me or even understand what it was I was going through. As a child and adult I felt alone and misunderstood. Today even though it is painful, I finally have a idea of what I was dealing with as a child and can hopefully get diagnosed soon. Thank you for making film. Thank you for seeing me! ❤️

That depiction of time blindness was scarily accurate

if i find one more video online that makes me think "huh, that is exactly like me, maybe i have ___" im gunna sob i swear

Honestly it took me a long time to get back to drawing, because it used to be the only thing I knew I could concentrate on in class, but I had teachers throw them away or at least threaten to. After that, instead of quit trying to pay attention in class and draw, I would just quit and do nothing, or maybe lay my head down. Also since I didn't know the other one was a girl, they reminded me of Naruto and Sasuke.

yeah this film is pretty awesome. once I was forced to be alone in a classroom to finish work while my classmates went to gym or music or something. it singled me out as a kid and I felt horrible. my school made me repeat that year (3rd grade) and told my family I had too big of an imagination ... even when I did well, I don't have a single positive memory from my education. I was always singled out for being different and always judged by everyone. Not having support or even a diagnosis or clue about ADHD (and the problems it caused me) is probably why I threw away my opportunity for a great career and why, at 30 yrs old, I'm barely getting by. I'm capable of so much more, but the system I grew up in didn't provide me with any necessary tools to succeed

There was this low wall dividing the old-school-turned-heritage-centre from my elementary school, that divided the grassy, tree-filled and kid-empty section from the loud, concrete yard we were allowed to play in, and I used to love just sitting on the wall and feeling the wind from behind me, not even really seeing the playground in front of me. Would completely zone out like the purple hoodied kid. It was my safe space, even when people thought me weird for it and would invade it sometimes, and try and take me away from it. I’d almost forgotten about it. . . but this animation has brought it back so vividly. . . I should really see if I can find another place like it, now, twenty years later. :’)c

As a person with ADHD type ring of fire, I definitely related to the one with the hyperactivity, (obviously). I didn't have too much trouble growing up, but the timeliness, and forced attention tasks drove me insane, I remember for not doing homework id be held back in class during lunch and recess to finish them up. Plus, not many girls wanted to play with me either because of how much energy I had, and how much running around I would do. I remember going up to a camp for people with stuff like this, people with autism, people with ADHD, behavioral issues, etc, but it was so fun. We were on a camping trip for 18 days out in Wyoming. It was amazing! We were always doing stuff and getting out, and I made some really good friends there that I don't think I would have ever found here where I live now. I miss it, but now I'm in college, but I'll always struggle to find something I can be a part of or understand or get along with. Thank you for this video, it's made me super emotional.

People think you outgrow this or adapt to it im in my 30s and still get this a lot. When my parents went to grandmas while she passed (they took care of her) i finally had freedom taking care of their place and started improving only for mom to return when dad passed (stroke) and its back to where it was. Sometimes you just want to be left alone. It sucks when you too suffer from depression. A family of 5 down to 2 and still get no privacy.

I have found so much of a better cruise with time being an outdoor educator with children. If there are any other time blind folks out there who feel their heart (and mind!) can’t stop growing and they want young kids to feel ok to be wild I highly recommend. It’s the one realm I feel I can be myself, helpful and true.

and i wanted to say that i relate a lot with the moment of looking through the window and literally start dreaming hahahah or when people don’t like you cause you’re kinda weird and don’t take your ideas