CRYSTAL OERTEL
I always say that Addicts are some of the strongest people on the planet and they can do anything if they put their minds to it. I'm proof of that. What happened to me early on in my recovery has brought me here today. I did a TEDx talk in November of 2015 where I shared my story for the first time for 900 people, and talked about the stigma of addiction for the first time. That's really where the advocate in me was born. And I realized I could use my voice for good. Helping people is what I think the Universe created me for and I'm finally fulfilling that duty. I encourage people to break the stigma and erase the shame of addiction. That shame prevents a lot of people from getting help because they don't want judged and stigmatized. So, if telling my story with no shame gets someone out of feeling like that and they get help, then I've accomplished what I have set out to do.
