Posts

Pineapple Support Partners with Cam4 to Host “Survivors of Suicide” Webinar

/in /by

Pineapple Support, the adult industry’s leading mental health resource, will host a webinar next week to discuss the experience and need of those who have lost someone to suicide. “Survivors of Suicide: Acceptance and Healing,” sponsored by Cam4, will be hosted by licensed mental health counselor Rachael Wells on Tuesday, September 28th, at 1pm EST.

“This permission-giving presentation will cover the experience, needs, and questions of being a survivor of suicide,” says Wells. “We will cover the grieving and healing journey and dispel myths about suicide and grief. Together, we will explore ways to support survivors of suicide, as well as better understanding the path to recovery. Please note that this webinar will cover themes that some listeners may find upsetting.”

Pineapple Support was founded by British performer Leya Tanit in 2018, after a string of losses in the adult industry from depression and other mental illnesses. The organisation, which is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in the United States, has so far connected over 5,000 adult performers to mental health services, including free and low-cost, therapy, counseling and emotional support.

“Rachel is a talented, sex-positive mental health counselor, with a wealth of experience treating trauma within marginalized communities,” says Tanit. “Attendees of this webinar can draw upon Rachel’s experience, as we explore the process of acceptance and healing for those that have lost someone to suicide. With better understanding and knowledge, we can work together to help prevent future losses in our industry.”

The “Survivors of Suicide: Acceptance and Healing” webinar will take place via Zoom on Tuesday September 28th, at 1pm EST. It is scheduled to last one hour but may extend. Please note that this webinar discusses themes that some listeners may find upsetting. Please visit https://pineapplesupport.org/webinars/ for more information and to access the webinar link.

Pineapple Support To Provide Suicide Prevention Training Presentation

/in /by

Pineapple Support, the adult industry’s leading mental health resource, will host a free Suicide Prevention training presentation to help those in the adult industry to better understand the mental health issues that lead to suicide, including how to identify potential signs and the steps that can be taken to prevent suicide.

The sex-positive training presentation, hosted by ​certified crisis counselor ​Amanda TR-Clemens, is designed to help those in the adult industry provide direct support to those struggling. In addition to resources and tools for suicide prevention, the presentation will also provide tools and strategies for mental health challenges individuals might be facing personally.

“This webinar will be a ‘user-friendly’, sex-informed approach to suicide prevention and crisis support that’s meant to be specifically ‘performed’ by adult film industry people for adult film industry people who may be struggling with suicide or other mental health-related issues,” says Clemens. “The more honest discussions we can have about mental health in adult, the less stigma those who want to come forward face, and the more who can be saved.”

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

“This training presentation will be held on World Suicide Prevention Day,” says Tanit. “We’re hosting this in memory of those in our industry we’ve lost, and to honor their memory by building a more informed and supportive community. Amanda’s experience working for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, as well as her work coordinating emergency and volunteer rescues and speaking at schools and events on the topic of suicide prevention makes her the perfect host for this training presentation.”

The Suicide Prevention Training presentation will go live on September 10th at 1 pm ES and is scheduled to last one hour but may extend. Please visit https://pineapplesupport.org/webinars/ for more information and to access the webinar link.

Becoming Aware Of Suicide

/in , /by

As September draws to a close I thought it only right to speak about my becoming aware of suicide and all that I have learned since starting my journey with Pineapple Support back in January 2018.

Suicide awareness… I used to think this was a ridiculous statement… everyone is aware that suicide exists. But now, after everything I have learned over the past 9 months I understand that suicide awareness is not about being aware of the existence of suicide, it is about being aware of why it happens and being aware of what people go through, not just those willing to take their own life, but also those who are left behind.

“A selfish act”, I hang my head in shame when I admit to you now that this was my attitude. “How could someone do this to their family?” “Do they not think about all the people that they are leaving behind?”.
Yes, when a person is at a point in their life where they feel that death is their only escape, they most likely are thinking of themselves, or they could be thinking that the world would be better off without them. Either way they are not thinking logically about the devastation and broken hearts left behind. They are in an introspective world where the dark voices in their heads are the only ones they can hear. The feeling of anger at those who chose to leave us is a perfectly natural emotion, a part of the healing process and not one that should be brushed aside.

So many people have reached out to me personally to tell me their stories and I feel incredibly privileged that they have all been so open and candid when sharing their experiences. Opening up about not only the combination of emotions felt but also the legal and financial implications. It has been an education and one that I am extremely appreciative of.

It was in responses to the shocking number of suicides in the adult industry last year and the beginning of this year that Pineapple Support was launched. I hope with all my heart that with this education and the continued support of those inside and outside of the industry, we are able to offer guidance, therapy and hope to all those effected by such tragic experiences.

Love and Pineapples,
Leya Tanit