Brain Gremlins – Alina Pete illustrates their experience with obsessive compulsive disorder

Brain Gremlins – Alina Pete illustrates their experience with obsessive compulsive disorder

Ever thought about how art can help manage mental health struggles? Alina Pete, a talented cartoonist from the Little Pine First Nation in Saskatchewan, has turned their battle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) into a compelling graphic novel called 'Brain Gremlins'. In this episode of People First Radio, Alina opens up about their high school years when OCD was at its worst and how media often misrepresents the condition.

This misrepresentation inspired Alina to create 'Brain Gremlins', which is featured in the anthology 'Through The Labyrinths of the Mind', published by Cloudscape Comics. Alina discusses the therapeutic power of art and how comics can be a powerful medium for addressing mental health issues. They believe that comics are intuitive and accessible, especially for younger readers. Alina shares the challenges faced while illustrating their experiences and how art helped them manage intrusive thoughts.

The episode also tackles the stigma surrounding mental health and how Alina's work aims to break it. Alina leaves listeners with a poignant message: 'OCD is a disease that can have incredibly bad effects. But at the heart of it, it's just a disease, and it's something that people can live with and manage. It doesn't define you.' Tune in to hear Alina's story and discover how they use their talent to challenge mental health stigmas.