The many contributing factors to the addiction crisis highlight the need for a comprehensive approach to solving this complex problem. In this TEDx Talk, Janalee Stock shares lessons learned by someone who has experienced firsthand both mental illness and addiction. Her personal journey to recovery inspired a passion for listening to others with similar stories and, in turn, speaking up and taking action. She shares difficult questions she has had to ask herself as she has become increasingly involved in the lives of other women struggling to free themselves from the grip and the stigma of addiction. They are questions we can all ask. Janalee Stock retired from 38 years of nursing in 2016. She looked forward to sleeping in, long trail runs, reading fiction, and trying many new recipes. Most of that hasn’t happened. Instead she has devoted much of her time to the start up of a non-profit organization, Women for Recovery. Additionally she is a mother of 4 adult children, a grandmother of eight, a personal trainer, a political activist, and a big sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters. She has been on a number of boards over time: AID Task Force, Appalachian Peace and Justice Network, and the American Cancer Society. She bides by the saying, “to those who have been given much, much is expected." She is grateful for all she has been given, especially a supportive husband, who has never questioned why she hasn’t slowed down.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx