Pleaze

Pleaze is dedicated to giving the power back to the people to create change for mental health and addiction. We want to be the number one place to go for help. After struggling with my mental health and addiction for a number of years, I realised how difficult it can be to ask for help or even just to say I’m not okay. Pleaze help buttons allow the user to quickly and effectively alert friends, family, or professionals they need support. Upon downloading the app, the user creates a group or multiple with their friends, family, or professionals. Our home screen is divided into four buttons, mental health, addiction, send location and check-in. Our mental health button leads to three new buttons, I need to talk, I need help and I’m feeling suicidal. Our addiction button leads to three more buttons, I need help, I’m thinking of relapsing, and I’ve relapsed. Both have options to create a customized message. The send location button will send the users location and the check-in button easily enables the user to ask their group how their loved ones are. Once the user presses one of these buttons, there is a vibrating message(similar to an alarm) sent to the intended group while the user is brought to a breathing simulator to calm them. The group will also be notified once someone has responded. Throughout my life, I quickly realised how much people didn’t know how to help me at all. The majority of people didn’t understand me either. The Pleaze support resources is how we give the power back to the people. Instead of relying on existing services, that are stretched beyond capacity and /or not widely available. We want to educate people on how they can help. We do this bygiving Pleaze addiction and suicide prevention support badges which they can share on social media. The user must complete a short course and pass a quiz/test in order to obtain the badge. The resources we have made, were built by my vast network of those suffering with mental health and addiction. We concluded that while we can educate people to help in many ways, there was one reoccurring issue. It is very difficult for one to adapt different scenarios and individuals. The Pleaze card makes it easier for someone’s friends or loved ones to help them. The user can outline their warning signs, triggers, how to approach/talk to them, what not to do, what helps them, their medications and other information if they want to add. Although there is an option to have it private or public for only your groups to see, once the user presses a button, the Pleaze card will be sent with the message. Many times, a day (countless in my lifetime), I have spent hours searching online for answers and information. One of Pleaze’s features is a news feed. This news feed is for everything mental health and addiction related. This could be videos, pictures, articles, stories - Your daily dose of hope, positivity, and information. The user can also request information they would like to see and share their story if they like. For our MVP, our Pleaze personal hub will offer a guided journal, a coping toolbox, a private chat, hotlines and emergency numbers. Journaling has huge positive effects on one’s mental health but it can be hard to start or know what to write. Our guided journal is split in three sections, the past, the present and the future. Dealing with the past prompts the user to let go of anything they are holding onto on that day by writing it down and welcoming the present. Dealing with the present guides the user to write down one thing, one moment and one person they are grateful for on the day. Dealing with the future leads the user to write down their goals for the day by thinking about what they are going to do and how they are going to do it. It can be very difficult to remind oneself to keep going or think clearly in a crisis. The coping toolbox is a feature where the user can create a place of things that remind them to keep going or a place that makes them happy. The user can customize their toolbox with quotes, books, pictures, movies, phone numbers, videos, foods, medications, meditations, gratitude lists, therapist’s number, music, a place to go or something to do. A common fear that people have when opening up about their mental health or addiction is being judged. Our private chat gives a safe space to the user so that when they open up, their chat can’t be screenshotted. We have also included hotlines, and emergency numbers at the tip of users fingers. After launching our beta you can expect features for sleep, dealing with your thoughts, learn therapeutic techniques, defusing panic attacks, handling your triggers, and everything to assist you on your journey to sobriety and recovery. We are also working on creating a social media aspect to Pleaze and a way to connect with people who are going through things exactly like you. You'll never feel alone again. Ultimately, our vision is to become more than app. This is only the beginning!