FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GREYSTONES, WICKLOW | 19 June 2025 – On the 13th of January 2021, James Lewis lay in bed, prepared to take his life and fall back into addiction. “Please, please, someone or something help me,” he repeated. That moment birthed Pleaze, a revolutionary new app built not from theory, but from real pain and real recovery.
During seven months of psychiatric hospitalisation and five separate admissions in 2021, James Lewis recognised a devastating truth: countless people are suffering in silence with inadequate support. Pleaze was born out of a promise to help even one person take back control.
Developed by survivors of mental health struggles and addiction, Pleaze provides tools, connection, and education designed by those who have lived it. Its core principle: help should be human-first, not just clinically driven.
“I’ve had multiple attempts to end my life. The truth is, I’m not sure why or how I am here today.
Due to this endless and painful struggle, I’ve become obsessed with doing whatever it takes to help even that one person. This app has given meaning to my confusing existence. I won’t stop until I’ve given all I have to make a difference.
Fortunately, today I am in recovery and do not suffer anymore with my mental health.”
— James Lewis, Founder and CEO, Pleaze App Limited
Ireland faces a mental health and addiction crisis, with staggering data highlighting the need for grassroots, lived-experience solutions: