February, LA – Taimi, the first fully inclusive LGBTQ+ dating app, conducted a survey, the purpose of which was to better prepare the Support Team to work with users with tendencies towards self-harm and suicide.
St.Valentine’s Day is one of those days when users feel the loneliest. Since 2020, we’ve seen a spike in the number of users contacting our support team on February 13th and 14th, and so we committed to prepare our support team for this holiday specifically.
We conducted a survey in which about a thousand users participated, and the results show that around 50% of the respondents feel lonelier and more depressed on this day. “It annoys me that some people feel like they NEED a person and they NEED these little items to feel loved”. – one Taimi user said. “It reminds me I am alone” was one of the most common comments by an overwhelming number of respondents.
So the decision was made to update our training and ensure that we are there for our users when they need help. To bring the expertise, we at Taimi, a US-based company with Ukrainian roots, chose to invite Paul Niland, British-born head of Lifeline Ukraine, a professional, 24/7 suicide prevention and mental health support service, to train our support team. He has extensive experience in treating people with PTSD, LGBTQ+ people, military personnel, and more and is a frequent trainer for our support teams located all over the planet. The training goal is to help them recognize signs that might indicate a person is really considering taking their own life, ways to evaluate the risks, and strategies to bring a person out of this state, give them hope, and remind them about the things they love about their life.
Generational trauma, poverty, mental illness, and substance abuse are proven risk factors for future generations of vulnerable people. The more your identity is part of the underprivileged, the more at risk you are. Taimi’s survey confirms these horrifying statistics, showing that around 49% of users have felt suicidal and a heartbreaking 57% know someone from the LGBTQ+ community who has tried to take their own life, proving the importance of suicide prevention campaigns and overall mental health support within the community.
“Our conversation with the user will not end until we are sure that after our support agent leaves the conversation, our user will be ok. Moreover, our customer support team will initiate the dialog with our users if they post something on their profile that indicates suicidal thoughts, self-harm, etc. For example, knives, blades, nooses, pills, and statements that can read like “I am over this life” will trigger our support team to reach out and offer assistance.” – says Taimi Support Team Lead Tetiana Lavrichenko
By initiating the conversation Taimi Support Team aims to show that everyone deserves love, deserves to be heard, and deserves empathy. And sometimes users reach out once again when they’re feeling better to show their gratitude and to share news about their lives with the specific support agent that helped them.
Some say, in order to give a sense of perspective, “a person’s suicide affects other people”. But we really need to be more specific, who are exactly those “other people”? LGBTQ+ people are hurt when they see on the news yet another heartbreaking story about a queer person trying to take their own life. That is why it is so important to ensure that everyone feels a sense of belonging, feels that they can reach out for help, and feels loved, even if not necessarily in a traditional commercial holiday way. “I’d like to see more focus on all kinds of love, including family & friends. Valentine’s Day should be a celebration of all love, not just romantic love.” – one of the survey respondents pointed out. No one should feel less about themselves just because they do not meet generally accepted expectations on a holiday.
Overall, the main point is this: Talk to each other, ask questions, and help each other, because no rainbow heart should be broken.
If you feel pressure to have someone by your side and it makes you feel lonelier or more depressed on St.Valentines day, or you feel like someone you know is not doing well, here are our guidelines on how to navigate dating life without stress during this holiday, but also how to cope with the negative feelings you might experience.
GUIDE Available here.
CAMPAIGN KIT & SURVEY DATA: Available here
About TAIMI
Taimi is one the largest, fully inclusive LGBTQ+ dating app. It is carefully designed so that you can explore your sexuality and passion. We and our users believe that people find their attractions and mutuals in a sexually fluid environment with full freedom of choice.
Download Taimi for free and start your queer journey today.
SOCIAL: @taimiapp
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