ADHD inertia...and troublemaking (Nabil Abdulrashid’s story)

Nabil Abdulrashid was diagnosed with ADHD as a child growing up
in Nigeria. Now a London-based comedian, Nabil credits his ADHD
brain as an advantage in his comedy career. He’s quick-witted,
both stifled and driven by inertia, tumbling into funny thoughts
and scenarios as he speaks. He doesn’t even write down any of his
material — it’s stuck in his head and just flows.  


Nabil’s teachers in Nigeria thought he wouldn’t amount to much.
They didn’t even want him in their classes. He got into fights
and turned to sports to channel his energy. When he moved to the
U.K. as a teen, he got into trouble there, too. As an immigrant,
he was othered, and the rigid school structure didn’t work with
his ADHD. He fell into the wrong crowd and eventually ended up in
jail, where he discovered his comedic talents.  


Listen in to hear Nabil’s “aha” moment and how he channeled his
ADHD into a successful comedy career. To find a transcript for
this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at
Understood.


 We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at
ADHDAha@understood.org.  
Related resources

Understanding hyperactivity

ADHD in boys

Why some kids clown around in class



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