Captains’ Corner | Vice Captain, James Hurst

Last week, I was lucky enough to be involved with the Year 12 Kairos Retreat. Ever since I began at Terrace, I had heard about the Kairos Experience and notably, the Kairos secret. By the nature of its secrecy, I can’t talk any more about it except to say it was a very enjoyable and fulfilling experience. But one thing I can talk about is something that came up during the retreat. When the top causes of death of adolescent males is researched, suicide is the number one cause. Mental health is something that we as a society do not get right. Particularly for older Terracians, our mental health is something that is of vital importance.

Given this, I am going to use this Captain’s Corner as an avenue through which I can promote the pathways at Terrace that people can take. At Terrace, we have two personal counsellors: Ms Beard and Mr Antenucci. These lovely people are trained professionals and are available to have a chat about anything. Finding some time to chat to the counsellors is as simple as filling out a form at: https://www.terrace.qld.edu.au... or simply going into the Counselling Centre. A lot of people think that the counsellors are there for only big issues, but this is certainly not the case. Even as something as small as not sleeping well is enough to visit. If you are a parent and you notice something is amiss with your son, please talk to them about possibly seeing Ms Beard or Mr Antenucci, and if you are a student, please consider filling out the form whenever you are not feeling 100%.

A second pathway is through the Kids' Helpline. This service is available to anyone aged under 25. Contacting them is easy: simply dial 1800 55 1800 or initiate a webchat with one of the trained counsellors on their website. This is another quick and easy way to seek some counselling. Again, if you or someone you know is not 100%, please consider using the Kid’s Helpline. 

The final pathway is perhaps the most important. At Terrace, if you are having a tough time, there should always be someone there to help you out; teachers, mates, House Deans or even one of your House or College Captains. We are always here to help; you do not have to do it alone. For anyone who feels alone in their struggle against mental health, please find one of these people and speak to them. We are All In to help you out.