A Drop in the Ocean, A Voice in the Storm: OCD Representation with Léa Taranto

On this episode, we welcome author Léa Taranto to discuss her debut novel, A DROP IN THE OCEAN, an engaging YA novel about a girl in treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder that combats the dehumanizing stigma around mental illness. Léa and host Geetanshi Sharma talk about writing mental health and disability representation, OCD representation, stigmas associated with psychiatric disorders, and writing journeys. Follow Léa on Instagram @leatarantowrites and check out her debut novel A Drop In The Ocean, which just came out yesterday! You can also find her on her website: (http://leataranto.com/) If you want to learn more about OCD, Léa recommends the International OCD Foundation's website at https://iocdf.org/. For a compiled list of international crisis and suicide hotlines, you can visit https://findahelpline.com/ and https://blog.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines/. This video comes with captions and a transcript. Characters Like Us is a podcast dedicated to exploring the craft of diverse and inclusive writing in the books that we read and write. 💫 Enjoyed this episode? 💫 Join our Patreon / https://patreon.com/CharactersLikeUs 🌻 Follow Geetanshi 🌻: Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/book.noted/ Storygraph / https://app.thestorygraph.com/ YouTube / https://www.youtube.com/@Geetanshi-Sharma 📚 Follow Characters Like Us 📚: Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/characterslikeuspod/ Business Email: [email protected] ⏳ TIMESTAMPS ⌛️ 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:00:49 - Welcoming Léa Taranto 00:02:06 - Numbered Narratives Segment 00:05:13 - Léa's Writing Journey 00:10:00 - OCD Representation in Media 00:16:13 - Psych Wards 00:19:36 - Basing Characters on Real-Life People 00:21:15 - Mental Health Stigma 00:30:17 - Writing Habits and Care Work 00:34:04 - Léa's New Project 00:37:22 - Closing Segment & Takeaways 00:39:21 - Closing Remarks and Recommendations Music by Hafijur Rahman from Pixabay. Sound Effects from Pixabay.