The Real Benefits of Therapy

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For some people ‘Therapy’ is a dirty word and they envisage Freudian types charging the earth and promoting the need for repeat visits. However, anyone who engages with a Pineapple therapist may just tell you “They saved my life”.
Pineapple Support have put almost 1500 individuals in touch with a therapist for on-on-one therapy during the last 2 years and there are currently 227 clients receiving one-on-one therapy.
There are many inspirational quotes which provide positivity and Pineapples therapists strive to bring confidence and encourage self-belief.

Albert Schweitzer – “Happiness is the only thing that multiplies when you share it.”
Carl Jung – “The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no one recipe for living that fits all”.
Confucius – “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall”.
Is There Such a Thing as Free Therapy?

There are many types of actions which we as individuals can term as ‘therapy’ and are indeed ‘free’. We can love another, make someone happy, provide them with moral support or simply be an ear for whenever they need it. However, sometimes the situation requires a whole lot more than a few kind words or a hug.
Professional therapy does have a cost and this is where Pineapple Support come in. Recognizing the need that Sex Workers in the online industry have, is the key to providing the correct support. Ensuring that those giving the therapy are open and in tune with the industry our clients operate in, is paramount to making this work.

The Cost of Therapy
All therapists engaged by Pineapple have licenses relating to the country they operate from. For some they are licensed per state. Each and every one is checked annually by us to ensure their licence and renewal is up to date, and there have been no reported items against them. There are currently just under 250 therapists providing support worldwide.
Pineapple are extremely lucky in that many of their therapists provide a reduced cost for the sessions they provide. Normal rates can be anything up to $300 per session and in some sectors a lot, lot more. However, it can be reduced to as little as $100 per session for our clients.

There are up to 16 sessions allowed, so even at the reduced rate, that can still total $1600 per client.
In the first 6 months of 2022, the incredible support by our sponsors and donors has meant we have been able to provide much needed therapy, at a cost of nearly $250,000.
We are so proud of the help and support we are able to give, thanks to the generosity of all those concerned. Without your help,

Tori Amos – “Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little deep to find it”.
Louise Hay – “You’ve been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens”.
Buddha – “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection”.

How to ‘Man Up’ in Mental Health

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Being a 6’7 ex pro-athlete and on and off model, I have felt the full effects of society putting me into a box.

“You are too tall to have problems in life.”

“You are too good-looking to be depressed.”

“Man, you are living the dream.”

“I’d do anything to be you.”

I was the epitome of judging a book by its cover, and I let those people sway my thoughts about how I was supposed to live life.

What was happening inside my head and heart was the exact opposite of what those people perceived.
• Fear of failure
• Fear of being judged
• Thoughts of being inadequate
• Fear of not performing how women expected me to
• Constant anxiety from standing out

It wasn’t until I got C-PTSD from an abusive end to a relationship. Also, watching my father die from Parkinson’s, did I finally stopped worrying about what others thought and started acting for myself.

These are 5 takeaways from the lowest point in my life that helped me build myself up to the happiest version of myself to date.

1. Let your thoughts out
Society’s old views of how men should act, focus on us not showing any emotion, physically or verbally. I soon realized in my darkest moments that if I kept holding in my fears, I would never be able to overcome them.

There are many ways to take those thoughts swirling around your head and have them out in the open to digest in a new light.
• See a therapist weekly (here is a great article on how to email a therapist for the first time to help you start)
• Write daily in a journal
• Talk out loud to yourself when alone

2. Fail more often
Working on your personal growth is hard. By the time you are in your 20s and 30s, you have created this form of yourself from life lessons. This version of you kept you safe, guided you through puberty and now is all you know.

You can’t snap your fingers and re-train your brain to act differently. Instead, you need to fight that initial urge you have.

In the beginning, you will lose to the ‘old you’ far more than you win. And that’s ok!

Getting comfortable with failing is one of the main ways we learn and grow.

3. Get uncomfortable weekly
Constantly testing your comfort bubble will help your overall growth to combat anxiety, depression and other mental health struggles.

By choosing when you will get scared and most likely inducing the emotional pain, you can step away at any time it becomes too much to handle.

The more you poke, prod and test your comfort bubble, the easier it will be to handle other uncomfortable situations you can’t see coming.

4. Exercise often
Working on your fitness will help you feel more confident in your body, but not only that. Being physically healthy and in good shape does not get enough credit for our mental health.

Pushing yourself daily in the gym, CrossFit, spin class, or any other 60 minutes of sweat-inducing working out will constantly force you into those uncomfortable moments of potential anxiety-inducing pain.

Working out also positively affects the hormones and chemicals inside our bodies. Constantly leaving you in a better mood than when you showed up at the gym.

5. Learn how to sleep
“Learn” is the critical word in this section.

We all sleep at some point. Our bodies were made to shut down when we hit a critical point of exhaustion. That’s not the hard part.

What isn’t easy is getting constant sleep, night after night, that leaves you feeling well rested and repaired from the previous day.

All of these factors of everyday life can and most likely can or do affect your sleep.
• Money struggles
• Addiction to your phone/social media
• Drugs
• Alcohol
• Relationship issues
• Loss of loved ones
• Anxiety
• Depression

Here are some tips to start working at bettering your sleep
• Stop looking at your phone/tv/computer 30 minutes before your start your evening routine to go to bed.
• Track your sleep patterns with a sleep tracking device and app.
• Eat cleaner/healthier foods before bed that your stomach can digest more easily while asleep.
• Journal before hopping into bed. This will help de-clutter your mind if you have difficulty falling asleep..

Getting a good night’s sleep doesn’t happen to people who say, “I wish I could sleep better.” It occurs from trial and error and hard work.

It took me 35 years plus losing my father to finally start seeing things from a new angle in my life.

There is no blueprint to this and we are all different. So don’t be hard on yourself my friend, in time it will start looking brighter for you too.

Paul Marlow / Tall Paul
Paul is a mental health speaker & leading global Tall Men’s Fashion expert. Helping men 6’3+ feel confident in their bodies.
Learn more about Tall Paul

International Friendship Day

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Ever since this day was first celebrated in 1958, it has allowed countless people to come together and be as one. The very first ‘World Friendship Day’ on the 30th July was set up by an international organisation called the ‘World Friendship Crusade’. Some countries, such as Brazil and Argentina celebrate on the 20th, whilst India, the UAE and Bangladesh celebrate on the first Sunday in August and the USA on February 15th.

Their theme – “Sharing the human spirit through friendship”. The aim is to share emotions and spread happiness and serenity, which in turn will allow you to conquer the hearts of others. Ultimately bringing the whole world together under one big, happy roof.

Although it started in 1958 in the North American state of ‘Paraguay’, it was only in 2011 that the UN General Assembly declared 30th July as an official ‘International Friendship Day’. They proposed that friendship can inspire peace efforts between peoples, countries, culture and individuals. It emphasises the fact that friendship, especially amongst the younger generation, promotes and understanding and respect for diversity.

How Can You Join In?

One of the best ways to celebrate is by spending time with friends. Make a point of scheduling a fun activity or go for something simpler. You can,

  • Organise a get together with those you haven’t seen for a while
  • Go to lunch or dinner
  • Invite them to yours for a buffet (get each person to bring some food and drink)
  • Visit your local park
  • Go for a countryside walk
  • Cycling
  • Volunteer at a local charity
  • Join a local activity club to learn a new skill or hobby

Sometimes, we need to take ourselves out of our comfort zone to enable the mind and soul to become refreshed. When we take on a new task, or accomplish something we’ve never done before, it gives us a reason to live and love. Doing it with friends gives us an even greater boost.

Friends Come with Benefits

As much as sharing a problem with a friend helps, sharing positive actions and experiences has amazing benefits. It provides memories which you can return to whenever you are feeling a little bit down. It gives a piece of common ground between those you shared the experience with.

Even the organising of a shared event can give much positivity to both the planner and the group as a whole. Friends can give you a boost when you need it, and close friends may even do it when you don’t realise yourself that you are in need!

Sharing is Caring

Confidence and affirmations go a long way to providing an upbeat situation. They also produce a PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) amongst those present.

Even something a small as saying “Hi, how are you?” to a few of your friends each day will mean a huge amount to many. Knowing that someone is thinking about you is a huge boost. It gives them an instant warm fuzzy feeling and brightens their day. The best bit is, for every friend you motivate with a caring thought, they in turn can pass on to their friends. It’s a win – win situation and spreads the love even further.

Friendship Day Hashtags

#bestfriend

#friendday

#happybfday

#happybestfriendday

#happyfriendshipday

#happyfriend

#happyfriendday

#happtfriends

Some Quotes for Friendship Day

Last but by no means least, here are some inspiring friendship quotes for sharing.

William Shakespeare “A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.”

Alfred Tennyson “If I had a flower for every time I thought of you … I could walk through my garden forever.”

Jim Morrison “True friendship is like health; the value of it is seldom known until it is lost.”

Helen Keller “I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light’”

Socrates “In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends.”

Aristotle “Friends are the family you choose.”

John Churton Collins “A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.”

Unknown “Finding friends with the same mental disorder is priceless.”

Albert Einstein “Be slow to fall into friendship, but when you are in, continue firm and constant.”

 

And here is mine “Sow the seeds of friendship every day so that your harvest is plenty.”

Love Carla x

Surrender – A Poem

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To surrender
Is to dance
In the waves
Not knowing
When you might get knocked
Over
But trusting
That you’ll always
Be swept back up.
Trusting
That you will be swept
Onto warm soft sandy shores
When the time
Is right.
Written by Liza Belle

The Centre – A Poem

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Locate the calm within the storm.
Beneath the tumult of the waves
Breath face mind, still
As you pause
Count to ten
Allow the storm to pass
Find a moment of peace
And stillness
To return to your centre
To come back to yourself.
Written by Liza Belle

Moving Through It -A Poem

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We’re standing in a sea.
Everyday
Asked
To swim.
Through the trials
Of the tidal swell
That washes
Along the passage
Of our lives.
Heaved
And pulled
Sucked under
Flung above.
Over
And over.
We try
Not to struggle.
But when we’re in the thick of it
Breath
Snatched
From chest
Tossed
From one wave
To the next
Limbs
Exhausted
From arduous
Exertion,
It’s hard to see
A way out
A way
To stop struggling.
Written by Liza Belle

Putting the picture together – A Poem

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There’s no method
To the madness
When you’re flung
Headfirst
Into this thing
Called life.
I try in vain
To piece the puzzle
Patch
The picture
Of me
Together.
But I simply
Don’t know
Where to start.
Written by Liza Belle

Away – A Poem

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I leave
Because it’s easier
Than to stay
I run
Because it’s more bearable
Than to feel
I shut everyone out
Because it is less painful
Than to let them in
I close + push away
Because it is less agonising
Than to love
To stay
Is to bear witness
To stay
Is to let people in
To stay
Is to expose my heart
And put it on the line
To be shattered
Written by Liza Belle

Gaslit Warwounds – A Poem

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Those things that cut you up
And spat you out
Those things that had you crying and screaming
On the bathroom floor
That had you talking motherfuckingshit
To your family
Taking for granted your friends
Those things that made you a hurricane
In a quiet living space
Those things that blew shit up
Ruffled feathers
Burnt bridges
Those things
That you believe
Made you a bad person
Actually made you brave
Actually made you courageous
Actually made you face who you are
And deal with your shit
Those things actually made you fearless
Fiery
A pioneer
Those things made you you
Don’t bad mouth those things.
Written By Liza Belle

Abuse – A poem

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Sometimes
We compensate so damn hard for people doing awful things
Being awful
Because we can see their pain
We can see the suffering
That warped them
Twisted them
De-humanised them
So we stay.
We watch.
We tolerate
And accept.
But we shouldn’t.
We shouldn’t tolerate abuse.
It’s fucked up.

Written by Liza Belle