Addiction & Recovery – Codependency

Tips and coping strategies from week 1 of the Addiction Recovery workshop with therapist Nicki Line.

Codependency: The Drama Triangle

 

Victim; The stance of the victim is “poor me”. Victims see themselves as victimized or powerless. They can deny responsibility for their negative circumstances and deny possession of the power to change those circumstances. A person in the victim role will look for a rescuer to save them (and if someone refuses or fails to do that they may perceive them now as a persecutor.) Victims typically have difficulties making decision, solving problems, or understanding their self-defeating behaviors.

Rescuer: The stance of the rescuer is “let me help you!”.  Rescuers work hard to take care of other people. Rescuers may need the help of other people to feel good about themselves, while neglecting their own needs.  Rescuers are codependent in terms of needing a victim to help, and they can often feel guilty or badly about themselves if they are not actively rescuing someone. Rescuers are also considered enablers because they remove responsibility from the victim to manage their own problems. Rescuers can find themselves overworked, burnt out, and often can begin to feel resentment festering.  Often this resentment can shift a rescuer into the role of a persecutor as they feel/ express things such as “ You don’t care about anything I do for you and you never do anything for me!”.

Persecutor: The stance of the persecutor is “it’s all your fault!”.  Persecutors often criticize and blame the victim. Persecutors may use threats and criticism to keep a victim feeling oppressed.  However, their criticism usually does not help or solve any problems.

* In a codependent situation, an individual can play all three of these roles at different points in time.

 

Codependency: The Empowerment Dynamic (TED)

The empowerment dynamic is the positive alternative to the drama triangle

Creator: Alternative to the victim. A creator is focused on a desired outcome, and sets goals that propel them towards their desired outcome.

Coach: Alternative to the rescuer. Uses compassion and questions to help guide a creator to developing their own vision and plan of action. Instead of stepping in and taking over as a rescuer may, a coach uses encouragement and support to help a creator put their plans into action.

Challenger: Alternative to the persecutor. A challenger is focused on learning and growth. They hold a creator accountable, but consciously builds them up and encourages them to keep moving and stay accountable to their goals.

 

Self Soothe Kits

Try to include something that engages each of the five senses. Some examples:

Sight: A postcard of somewhere you feel calm/ safe or somewhere you’ve always wanted to go. Photos of your favorite people. Affirmation cards.

Touch: slime or silly putty

Sound: a playlist on your phone with calming music

Taste: chocolate, citrus tastes, sour candies.

Smell: scented lotion or oils

 

Grounding Exercises

54321 Technique:

  1. Acknowledge 5 things you can see
  2. Acknowledge 4 things you can touch
  3. Acknowledge 3 things that you can hear
  4. Acknowledge 2 things that you can smell
  5. Recite 1 thing positive about yourself.

.

Breathing Exercise

Square breathing:

  1. Slowly exhale all your air
  2. Gently inhale through your nose to a slow count of 4
  3. Hold in for a count of 4
  4. Gently exhale through your mouth to a slow count of 4
  5. Pause and hold for a count of 4
  6. Repeat

 

Useful Resources

 

The power of TED -Book by David Emerald Womeldorff

 

Brene Brown The Call To Courage- Netflix special

 

Brene Brown various Ted Talks about vulnerability – available on YouTube

 

The Body Keeps the Score- book by Bessel van der Kolk

Pineapple Support and Streamate Host Three Day Wellness Event

Streamate and Pineapple Support to host a three day wellness event to help alleviate stress and anxiety caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The event held on 18-20th of May, offers anyone in the industry the opportunity to schedule a free, 30 minute, one-on-one guided meditation session with Pineapple Support therapist, Ingrid d’Aquin. During the consultations  you can “Enjoy a moment of catharsis and leave the session with relaxation techniques you can start using immediately to calm and center yourself.” said d’Aquin.

D’Aquin will also be hosting a webinar on May 18th at 2pm EST to discuss the effects of depression, anxiety and isolation. “We are in unprecedented times” says d’Aquin, “and you are not alone if you are trying to figure out how you are going to see your way through the depression, anxiety and isolation. Join us in this webinar where we will explore what makes a person resilient and learn simple take home techniques to cultivated a stronger ability to bounce back and adapt to life’s fast balls.”

“The world as we know it has changed – at least for now.” sad Liz, director of marketing at Streamate. “We are all learning to adjust, and some may be forgetting about self-care, an important part of our overall well-being. Streamate is not only proud to partner with Pineapple support on this event, but feel it’s imperative to offer all individuals the ability re-center and gain focus to combat loneliness during these interesting times.”

Pineapple Support was founded in 2018 by British performer Leya Tanit in response to losses in the adult industry from depression, addiction and other mental illnesses. The organization, which is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit in the United States and a registered charity in the UK, has so far connected over 1,000 adult performers to mental health services, including free and low-cost, therapy, counseling and emotional support.

“Covid-19 has affected all of us, it is important to take time out, away from your daily stresses and have a moment of calm and the wellness event aims to provide those within the industry with just that.” explains Tanit “During each session Ingrid will guide you with breathing techniques and exercises that you can transfer to your daily routine.”

To book your free 30 minute consultation, please visit: https://calendly.com/ingriddaquinpsychotherapist.

To attend the Webinar please visit: https://www.PineappleSupport.org/webinars

Pineapple Support, Team Skeet Launch Art Contest Promoting Mental Health

Pineapple Support is launching an art competition with TeamSkeet to highlight how art and other mindful activities can help to reduce stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The competition calls for anyone in the industry to create any form of art — featuring pineapples — before May 31. The winner will be chosen by Team Skeet on June 2 and will receive Team Skeet swag, and a $500 Uber Eats voucher to help with the current economic burden.

“We are excited to partner with Pineapple Support on a project which will benefit our community,” said Salima, COO of Team Skeet parent company Paper Street Media. “This organization is actively involved in supporting and assisting many individuals who have been affected by COVID-19 and this is a cause we greatly support.”

Salima added that “sponsoring a social media-based art project serves two purposes for us: first, to create further awareness about Pineapple Support and its services, and second to give participants something fun and creative to do during the ‘stay-at-home’ orders.”

Pineapple Support was founded in 2018 by British performer Leya Tanit in response to losses in the adult industry from depression, addiction and other mental illnesses. The organization, which is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit in the United States and a registered charity in the UK, has so far connected over 1,000 adult performers to mental health services, including free and low-cost, therapy, counseling and emotional support.

“During unprecedented times, I want to raise awareness of how art can be used as a hugely effective tool for mental wellbeing,” Tanit explained. “It ties in with our advice for keeping mentally healthy during lockdown and there are many mental health benefits to getting creative. It also gives people something to focus on and think about during isolation, so we’re calling on everyone in the industry to ‘turn on the juice,’ get your creative juices flowing and create some pineapple art.”

Those who wish to take part should share a picture of their pineapple art by following and tagging Pineapple Support and Team Skeet in a post on Twitter, using the hashtag #PineappleArt.

Up to one entry per person will be accepted until June 2 when the winner will be announced by Pineapple Support on Twitter.

Keeping A Healthy Diet While in Lockdown

As the lockdown continues, our anxiety levels are starting to rise, and it is all too easy to ease those feelings by snacking on comfort foods, but emotional eating can be detrimental to both your physical and mental health.

These uncertain times are scary and I am certainly not saying that now is a good time to focus on losing weight or completely changing the way you eat. It is a time to start looking at food as a source of energy and health.

Eating a healthy diet is a great way to boost your immune system and it could help to fight off infections. “The World Health Organization (WHO) is also urging people to maintain a healthy lifestyle while on lockdown, saying it could boost their chances of a fast recovery should they contract Covid-19.”

  • Try to keep your mind active and healthy snack available for when you do get the urge to start picking.
    I try to keep dried fruit and nuts in the cupboards. Apple slices with a spoon of peanut butter is also a great go to for when you fancy something sweet. Hard boiled eggs, roasted sweet potato chunks and humus with chopped raw veggies are easy to keep prepared in the refrigerator. Here is Snack Nation’s Guide to 121 healthy snacks: https://snacknation.com/blog/guide/healthy-snacks/
  • Try to plan your meals for a whole week, this way you won’t have to worry about losing inspiration and turning to that frozen pizza in the freezer drawer. Planning meals in advance also helps ensure that you use up all of the ingredients, preventing waste and saving money.
  • Think about creating big meals that you can freeze, this is a great way to save money and ensure you have a healthy, home-cooked meal available even when you are feeling less than inspired to cook. There are lots of great websites with ideas for freezer meals, here are a couple that I stumbled across:
    Money Saver, Best Ever Freezer Meals – https://happymoneysaver.com/freezer-meals/
    Bon Appetite, 37 Recipes That freeze Well – https://www.bonappetit.com/gallery/recipes-that-freeze-well
  • “Three nutrients that you should definitely include (because they help to support your immune system) are Vitamin A (found in sweet potato and spinach), vitamin C (found in berries, tomatoes and peppers) and zinc (found in meat, shellfish, dairy and bread),” Ludlam-Raine adds for The Independent.
  • Oily fish is also one of the few food sources of Vitamin D which is important for bone health and our immune system. If you are not able to go outside as often as you would like, it is important to include this in your diet.
  • It is important to try to keep a routine, eating at set times throughout the day and in a set place. Avoid eating in bed or where you work, keeping your spaces separate. This should help curb your snacking and help your body adapt to your new schedule.
  • Keep yourself hydrated!!! Drinking plenty of water has an effect on your brain function, your skin, your physical and mental well-being. We should be drinking 1.5-2ltrs of water a day. Try upping your water intake (if you are not already drinking enough water) and see the difference it makes to how well you function.
  • It is important to treat yourself, especially during Corona Lockdown. Not only will this boost your mood, but it will also save you from snacking on treats you have forbidden yourself.
  • Most importantly, be kind to yourself.

 

Resources

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/coronavirus-mental-health-self-isolate-how-to-manage-quarantine-a9404431.html

https://www.health24.com/Diet-and-nutrition/News/5-tips-for-eating-healthier-during-the-coronavirus-lockdown-20200327

https://www.health24.com/Medical/Infectious-diseases/Coronavirus/stress-eating-while-in-lockdown-here-are-tips-to-avoid-it-20200403

Learn Something New During Isolation

After 5 years of living in Spain, during lockdown I have decided it is about time I learned Spanish. So, Rosetta Stone has been downloaded and over the past 4.5 weeks I have managed to take three classes. Not impressive in the slightest, but I am not beating myself up about it. Why? Because 1) the intention is there and 2) WE’RE IN LOCKDOWN!

Our brains are not working as they should, some of us may be feeling more tired than usual, unable to focus or our memories aren’t working as well as they usually do. This is completely normal, during such a stressful time and we all need to show ourselves a little compassion.

With that said, it is important that we keep our minds active, and learning something new is a great way to do that. Get creative, maybe you’ve always wanted to learn to crochet or knit a scarf. Create a piece of art for an empty wall. Now could be the time to learn how to build your own website or brush up on your SEO and keywords. Why not learn how to code?

It always great to work on your communication skills, that could be through learning another language or reading about psychology.

Learn a dance routine, learn to meditate or learn breathing exercises to keep your mind away from the news and your body active.

Whatever you decide to learn, go easy on yourself and try not to get frustrated if you’re not picking things up as quickly as you would usually. These are unusual times.

The most important thing is that you are caring for yourself, your mind and your body.

 

If you feel you need emotional support or counselling to help you through these unprecedented times. Please, reach out. PineappleSupport.org

 

With love, Leya Tanit

Keeping Active During Isolation

As you would expect, the team here at Pineapple Support have been promoting ways to keep your mind healthy during Covid-19 isolation and lockdown. For example Maintaining a routine, keeping the mind active, continuing regular therapy.

Maintaining some normalcy is incredibly important in caring for your mental health. And good mental health promotes good physical health.

“The American Heart Association recommends adults engage in at least 150 minutes (two and a half hours) per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity. A combination of both would work too, preferably spread throughout the week.”

Being locked inside it is very easy not to move as much as we would ordinarily. That’s why every little bit of movement helps. Build physical activity into your daily routine and make it fun.

While you are watching TV, do some squats during the commercials. If you are cleaning the house, pop on some music and turn your cleaning into a dance routine. If you have stairs, go up and down three times every time you use them. Heel raises when you’re washing dishes. Side lunges when you are putting clothes in the machine. The NHS recommends some seated exercises.

Being active and keeping your body moving, doesn’t always mean raising your heart rate. It is just as important to stretch, relax and work on your breathing. There is a lot going on in the world right now, we all need to take some time to pause.

Pineapple Support has put together a collection of workouts and breathing exercises on our YouTube channel, but there are so many more available online for you to try.

 

 

If you feel you need emotional support or counselling to help you through these unprecedented times. Please, reach out. PineappleSupport.org

 

resources

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/#collapse98faf

Keeping The Mind Active During Isolation

In order to keep our minds healthy during isolation, it is important to keep them active. This doesn’t necessarily mean learning something new or doing math puzzles, unless that is what interests you. The important thing is to positively entertain your brain.

For those under 40 and particularly those in the adult industry, mobile phones and other electronic devices have become a major part of day to day lives. Some of us spending upward of 10 hours a day looking at a phone or computer screen. With social distancing becoming the new norm (for now), we risk becoming more isolated and more connected to our electronic devices.

Although these devices are imperative for our businesses, it is not healthy to spend long periods of time sitting in front of a screen. Especially as the blue light from devices like smartphones can be disruptive to your sleep and overall well being.

Try to vary your activities, keep your brain occupied and challenged. Get creative, try your hand at gardening or cooking new recipes. Read books or listen to podcasts.

The WHO Mental Health Considerations states that “During times of stress, pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in healthy activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly, keep regular sleep routines and eat healthy food. Keep things in perspective. Public health agencies and experts in all countries are working on the outbreak to ensure the availability of the best care to those affected.”

Here are some of my top choices for keeping the mind active:

1) Read a book
There is nothing better than getting immersed in a good book and ordinarily, if you’re like me, this is something I don’t usually have time for.
https://www.goodreads.com/list – book recommendations
https://www.instagram.com/booksandburgs/ – honest book reviews
https://readingagency.org.uk/ – Resources on booked and shared reading

2) Try a new recipe
Whether you’re a whiz in the kitchen or you boil toast, trying new recipes is a great way to vary your meal plan and ensure a balanced, healthy diet.
https://myfridgefood.com/ – use what you have in your fridge
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/83/everyday-cooking/convenience-cooking/ – Quarantine cooking recipes
https://food52.com/blog/25135-easy-coronavirus-quarantine-recipes – 13 easy quarantine recipes
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/food-dining/2020/04/10/coronavirus-quarantine-cooking-easy-recipes-you-can-make-few-ingredients/5131173002/ – Recipes with 5 ingredients or less

3) Work those green fingers
There are many benefits to having plants in your home and garden and now is the perfect time to get planting. As my fingers are more black than green, I’ve taken to planting a variety of cactuses.
https://www.gardenersworld.com/ – Gardening advice and inspiration
If you don’t have any outside space, they also have a guide to house plants https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/must-have-houseplants/

4) Learn something new
https://www.marchnetwork.org/creative-isolation?lightbox=dataItem-k87hyknv – a link to 10 free university art courses
https://www.marchnetwork.org/creative-isolation?lightbox=dataItem-k7vvf8eb – Online Dance tutorials
https://www.duolingo.com/ – Free online language courses

5) Watch a tv series, movie or documentary
https://www.bbc.co.uk/arts – New culture in quarantine programming
https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-quarantine-what-to-watch.html – What to watch, read and listen to during isolation

6) Take a virtual tour
Many museums and galleries are offering virtual tours during lockdown:
https://smartify.org/ – Smartify is a web and mobile-based platform for some of the world’s best art and cultural institutions.

https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/series/royal-albert-home – Royal Albert Home will see artists sharing their work from their homes to yours.
https://artsandculture.google.com/ – Virtual tours of museums, art galleries and heritage sites.

7) Make travel plans for the future
We won’t be in quarantine forever and looking to the future and making fun and exciting plans are a great way to remain positive.
https://www.earthtrekkers.com/best-travel-adventures/ – 50 travel adventures to have in your life time
https://www.boredpanda.com/amazing-places-to-see-before-you-die-2/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic – 40 Breath taking places to visit before you die

8) Connect with friends and loved ones
Maintaining a connection with loved ones is vitally important during lockdown and we are extremely fortunate to be living in a time when there are so many different way to do this.
Read our blog on Maintaining a Connection With The People You Love.

9) Get active
Keeping the body active is just as important as the mind. So whether you train hard or schedule regular yoga sessions, it’s important to keep the body moving.
Pineapple Support has a selection of workout videos to choose from on our YouTube channel or you surf the web for thousands of options.

10) Play a board game
I know, it’s old skool, but board games are so much fun and can keep you occupied for hours.
https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/3/17/21182427/board-games-2-players-best-quarantine

When it comes to keeping your mind active, the possibilities are almost endless.
Get involved and let us know via Twitter @PineappleYSW what you are doing to keep your mind active during isolation.

 

 

Resources

https://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2020/03/30/young_people_are_lonley_too_487793.amp.html?__twitter_impression=true&utm_campaign=April%202020%20Newsletter%20(JDkhGP)&utm_medium=email&utm_source=April%20Workshop&_ke=eyJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJ0aGVyYXB5QGRlbmlzZS13b2xmLmNvbSIsICJrbF9jb21wYW55X2lkIjogIk41dWJEUyJ9&fbclid=IwAR0SV8WsNK-qJrqtBvYVXlJbFmX_NUj6KSGu0UoyozsU7kT0ilrPwJ0ZoBo

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/coronavirus-mental-health-self-isolate-how-to-manage-quarantine-a9404431.html

https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/how-loneliness-from-coronavirus-isolation-takes-its-own-toll?utm_campaign=April%202020%20Newsletter%20(JDkhGP)&utm_brand=tny&utm_term=TNY_Daily&utm_source=April%20Workshop&cndid=28664424&source=EDT_NYR_EDIT_NEWSLETTER_0_imagenewsletter_Daily_ZZ&mbid=&utm_medium=email&esrc=&bxid=5be9f97024c17c6adf0e91ae&utm_mailing=TNY_Daily_032320&_ke=eyJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJ0aGVyYXB5QGRlbmlzZS13b2xmLmNvbSIsICJrbF9jb21wYW55X2lkIjogIk41dWJEUyJ9&fbclid=IwAR1i8Z0lDRMjs-z8zHBWj3QbOzq6WIoVrDlFQbaiIkQlW92LYTZGk0IiQ8U

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/#collapsedcafe

https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/mental-health-considerations.pdf?sfvrsn=6d3578af_8

Maintaining a Routine While In Isolation

You’re stuck at home, all your usual hangouts are closed, you can’t do the day to day activities you would usually be doing. It’s all too easy to say “fuck it” and stay in bed, sloth around the house eating random combinations of whatever is in the cupboard and watching crappy TV.

Having a day or two every now and again to wallow in our own filth and enjoy the pleasures of numbing our minds and bodies, is perfectly acceptable. In fact, I recommend it. This is not however a healthy way to spend the majority of your time, particularly in isolation.

Days will drag and moods will drop (and drop and drop) until you find yourself in a downward spiral that is hard to get out of. If you’re currently struggling with this, it’s okay, you’re not alone.

Here are my tips for creating a routine while in Isolation.

Early Morning
Each morning I get up at around 7.30am, feed all my animals (question why I have so many animals), make myself a hot drink and, weather depending, sit in the garden for around half an hour. I use this time to catch up on personal social media and messages, to reflect on the day ahead and to be grateful for all that I have.

Morning
As someone who regularly works from home, I am a huge advocate of dressing for work. The does not mean a suit and full make up, it does mean taking a shower, brushing my hair and putting on something that isn’t pyjamas.

By 8.30am I try to be sat behind my desk and to start setting out what I hope to achieve that day.
Most of us are privileged to be able to do some work from home. Be it editing movies you haven’t released yet, doing admin and upkeep on your clips store or cam profile. Work on your premium site profiles or interact with fans. Use this time to do all the niggling jobs you haven’t yet found the time to do.
If you can’t work from home, get creative, look at picking up an old hobby or discovering a new one.

Each day at 10am I take an hours break from work to exercise with a friend online. We do this by picking a video on YouTube and starting it at the same time.
For me, training is one of those things I will continue to put off, unless there’s someone to hold me accountable. Training with a friend, not only makes it more fun, but creates an environment where you can both encourage each other to keep active.

Afternoon
At around 1pm I take a break from the computer to create a healthy lunch and spend an hour trying not to think about work. Then back to the grindstone until between 5 and 6pm.
I have had to be very strict with myself regarding the hours I work. When you work from home it is all too easy to continue working long into the night and forgetting the importance of “switching off”. As the saying goes; “You can’t drink from an empty cup”.

Evening
Once work is done for the day, I make time to call and check in on friends, either via text or online video platform. It’s actually been amazing to connect with people so regularly. This is something that ordinarily I don’t have time to do as I am usually rushing around to complete some errand. I feel that during this time of isolation, I have made deeper connections with my friends. Paying closer attention to each other’s emotions and learning so much more about one another.

Sometimes I take this time to learn a little Spanish (been living in Spain 5 years and can only just about order a glass of wine).

Dinner usually takes about an hour to prepare. At least once a week I like trying new recipes found online and “making do” with alternate ingredients from the backs of my cupboards, there have been mixed results. Of course, I’m not Mary Poppin’s, some evenings are spent eating left over’s or getting a food delivery.

Late Evening
By the time dinner is finished it is usually around 8pm and time to sit with the fur babies and watch a series or movie on Netflix.

At around 10.30-11pm I ensure that the house is tidy and dishes are washed, etc. This way before heading to bed I know that tomorrow will start with a clean fresh slate.

 

Everyone’s routine is different, the important thing is to have a routine. If there are days that you really don’t feel like getting out of bed or doing some of the things on your list, that’s okay. Let yourself have those days and enjoy them.

Try writing down a daily schedule for yourself, break the day up into segments and make it as detailed as possible. Do your best to stick to your schedule for a week and see how you feel at the end of it.

I do hope that this will have inspired you to KEEP GOING. These strange times will all be over soon and life will return to normal. STAY STRONG.

If you feel you need emotional support or counselling to help you through these unprecedented times. Please, reach out. PineappleSupport.org

Pineapple Support Sponsors Free Online Therapy Course

A free, online therapy course, sponsored by Pineapple Support, launches Tuesday, April 14. The seven-week course will utilize Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help industry members develop tolerance skills while in isolation during the production hold.

The two-hour weekly sessions, led by Pineapple Support therapist Sophie Graham, will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. (PDT) and focus on coping mechanisms that can be used during times of crisis.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is causing lots of people to experience distress,” explained Graham. “This might be because of fear of getting sick, or it could be financial stress, or the impact of being in closer than usual quarters with the folks that we live with. This course is all about finding ways to reduce your distress — using your body as well as your brain. It helps you to develop your capacity to manage distress better.”

To reserve a spot, email contact@pineapplesupport.org.

“It can be a struggle to cope with overwhelming events,” said Pineapple Support Founder Leya Tanit. “We can end up in crisis, and that can cause us to behave in ways that cause us shame or create practical problems in our lives. This course equips you with DBT skills to manage distressing situations without derailing your life or relationships.”

For the latest updates, follow Pineapple Support online and on Twitter.

Pineapple Support Celebrates 2nd Anniversary, 1,000th Performer Milestone

Adult industry mental health nonprofit Pineapple Support is marking its 2nd anniversary with another milestone: the organization has now connected over 1,000 adult performers with mental health and emotional support services.

Founder Leya Tanit said that when she started Pineapple Support in 2018, she “couldn’t have imagined that we’d be able to reach so many performers in such a short amount of time.”

“It has not been easy, and the need is still great,” Tanit added, “but it’s incredibly rewarding to reach this milestone in conjunction with our second birthday.”

Pineapple Support was conceived in early 2018 by Tanit, a British performer, in response to losses in the adult industry from depression, addiction and other mental illnesses. Tanit launched Pineapple Support at Exxxotica Denver on April 7, 2018.

Since then, Pineapple Support has secured financial sponsorship from over 40 adult companies, received 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in the U.S. and charity status in the U.K., and assembled a Board of Directors made up of industry leaders.

In addition, Pineapple Support has amassed a team of over 100 therapists providing low or no-cost services to adult performers, along with over 300 trained “active listeners” who volunteer with the service.

The non-profit has provided adult professionals with one-on-one therapy, online support groups, monthly webinars and 24/7 online emotional support.

Last year, Tanit launched the Pineapple Summit, the only online mental health summit specifically for the adult industry.

“I am so thankful for the generosity and dedication of our industry in helping build this organization, and for the tireless work of the therapists who help our community daily,” Tanit said. “I look forward to celebrating even more milestones and anniversaries in the coming years. As we often say, it’s okay to feel lonely, but it doesn’t mean you’re alone.”

For more from Pineapple Support, follow them online and on Twitter.