Please Pleaze Me

On a clear day…

t was during his seven months in a psychiatric hospital over the span of last year that James Lewis had his lightbulb moment.

Just like him, there are many people out there in need of help.

Help with their mental health, and help, in some cases, with addiction.

“That’s when I became committed to doing whatever it took to be that help,” says Lewis.

“And given that pretty much everyone has a phone, I felt an app would be the perfect go-to place for providing such help.”

As to how the app actually works, originally James installed help buttons wherein the user selects a group comprising of friends, family and professionals who could be available should a message come through. It’s at this point that the user is brought to a breathing simulator to help calm them, whilst the group will be notified once someone has responded.

After being accepted into Social Enterpreneurs Ireland in June last year, James shifted his focus to support resources, aimed largely at educating people on how to help anyone struggling with addiction and mental health problems. The Pleaze card also gives a rundown of an individual’s warning signs, triggers, etc, thus making it easier for that friend, family member or professional to recognise what support is needed. Add to that a self-tailored news feed for everything mental health – including videos, pictures, articles and stories – and Lewis hopes Pleaze will give its user an army of options to actually feel good.

“The idea is to give the power back to people who feel powerless, who feel as though there’s no way out.

“Basically, the Pleaze app is a map, showing you numerous ways out. You just have to choose the one that’s right for you…”

And right now, James needs to get that app up and running, which is why he has set up a gofundme page.

You can donate right about here, and follow the Pleaze app’s progress over on Instagram here.