Joni Overcame Self-Mutilation, State Hospital and Near Death to Be Alive and Well

06/13/16 • 6 min

Meet Joni. After spending 20 years in the state hospital, she overcame the control that the voices in her head seemed to have over her. She nearly died trying to punish herself through self-mutilation. With help, treatment, support from friends, prayer and determination, Joni was able to find hope. Though she still hears the voices, she has the ultimate voice of victory. We unite with Joni to break the stigma of mental illness.
"We may have a mental illness but that's not something bad. We can have a cold and get over it and with mental illness we can still get over it. There's hope. We are not alone. There is hope for us!"
Alive and Well STL teams up with the For Sake of All project at the St. Louis Science Center to host a forum on emotional well-being. We extended the microphone to participants who wanted to join the conversation.

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ALIVE AND WELL IS A MIND, BODY, SPIRIT AND COMMUNITY CONNECTION. MEET EVELYN AND GLADYS.

Meet Evelyn and Gladys. Doctors, friends and wellness advocates. They come to the conversation with decades of experience, involvement and commitment. They found a renewed connection to Alive and Well through realizing the Mind, Body, Spirit and Community relationship.
"It's not about you, it's about how you are connected to one another and to your community. What are you going to do to make things better!"
Alive and Well STL teams up with the For Sake of All project at the St. Louis Science Center to host a forum on emotional well-being. We extended the microphone to participants who wanted to join the conversation.

Next Episode

Smiling while crying inside. Meet Greg aka MR BIGG.

Meet Greg Kenner. Also known as Mr. Bigg. Clever, funny, dedicated and determined. A father and husband living a dual existence. On the outside, he's the happiest guy in the world. Inside he's burried under the stress and anguish of something painful and frustrating. So much so that he uses food among other things to insulate him from the hurt. His health, his weight and his heart suffer through the suppression. And though his weight has ballooned to nearly 400 pounds, he keeps trying. For anyone who might see him, they would say Mr. Bigg hardly has a care in the world. For Greg this is by design so that he may bring joy to others and maybe gain a little joy for himself as he works on the rest.