This TikToker Is Showing People What It's Really Like Living With ADHD & It's So Eye-Opening
"As a person with ADHD, THIS IS SO RELATABLE."
Olivia Lutfallah, TikToker.
An Ontario TikToker has caught the attention of many after sharing videos of what it's really like living with ADHD and how to cope with it.
Olivia Lutfallah, a TikToker who goes to Western University, told Narcity her inspiration to start making videos was mainly because she didn't have a hobby.
"I have nothing to do other than school and like hanging out with my friends," she said. "I had gotten a phone call from one of my friends asking me some questions about ADHD, and I was like, 'Well, I'm really good at talking about that, so maybe I can make some videos in my free time.'"
As a result, her one-year TikTok journey has brought her over 290,000 followers, millions of views and a community that looks to her for guidance and advice.
@olivialutfallah Let’s just say we do things a little different 😅 #fyp #fypシ #foryoupage #adhd #adhdtiktok
"As a person with ADHD, THIS IS SO RELATABLE," someone commented on one of her videos.
"I needed you in my life," another shared.
Living with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is quite common in Canada. In fact, it is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in the country, with around 1.8 million Canadians living with ADHD, according to the Centre For ADHD Awareness Canada (CADDAC).
"In other words, 1 of every 21 people in the country has the disorder. Everyone who has ADHD is impaired, or has more difficulty than normal, with regulating their attention or focus," CADDAC states.
Lutfallah was diagnosed with ADHD in grade three and said she didn't have anyone to look up to at the time who understood what she was going through.
"It was very confusing to me, like, validating, but also alienating in some ways, because I understood why I was different," she shared.
"Being able to be that person for some people to be like, 'Hey, she's cool, and she's doing well in life, and she also has ADHD, and she talks about it and letting people know that that's okay,'" she explained.
"I think that is really validating just for me to be able to know that I can help people that were in my position or are in my position now," she explained."
What does ADHD make you feel like?
@olivialutfallah Pov: someone asked you what adhd feels like #fyp #foryoupage #adhd #adhdtiktok
For someone who doesn't know what ADHD is, or what it's like, Olivia explains it quite perfectly.
She said, "imagine you're in a room talking to someone, and you're just talking face to face. And then suddenly, three kids appear.
One of them's screaming, the other one's pulling on the person you're talking to's hair, and then they have a megaphone that's draining coffee, right into your ear that's blasting and a Chinese dragon starts weaving in between you.
And then someone from your childhood suddenly appears, and you're reminiscing of all these memories, and blah, blah, blah, and then ignore everything and just focus on what the person in front of you is saying and ignore everything else that's going around you."
In other words, having ADHD makes it "difficult to desensitize yourself to stimuli around you and everything's kind of at the same volume," the TikToker clarified.
What is ADHD paralysis?
@olivialutfallah Say it with me: ADHD ≠ being lazy #fyp #fypシ #foryoupage #adhd
ADHD paralysis is a popular topic of conversation on Lutfallah's TikTok page. She posted a video explaining it accurately from her perspective (See video above).
In the video, the TikToker is asked to put her hand on the burner. If she does, she will get $100. But, Lutfallah just can't get herself to do it, not because she doesn't want to but because she simply cannot.
"That, for me, was the most accurate representation of what it feels like to be sitting there and being like, I know, I have to get up, and I know I have to do something productive, but I can't get up," she explains.
According to Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA), "ADHD paralysis happens when a person with ADHD is overwhelmed by their environment or the amount of information given. As a result, they freeze and aren't able to think or function effectively. This makes it challenging for the individual to focus and complete their tasks — including urgent ones."
The TikToker loves what she does.
"It's brought so much closure and validation to myself about ADHD, and also just being able to interact with people with ADHD," she said.
"I had never interacted with people with ADHD in my life, ones that have been diagnosed at least. And when I started making these videos, I came to so many creator friends that also had ADHD," the TikToker said excitingly. "It's brought a lot, a lot of happiness to my life."
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.