The Road Autumn 2021

MY PERSONAL STRUGGLES
KIARA DOWIE
Year 12 student Kiara Dowie is looking forward to finishing her final
year of schooling before she plans to embark on some overseas
travel next year.
This positive attitude is a work in progress for Kiara, as she is
working her way through the ongoing challenge she faces in
dealing with anxiety and feelings of depression.
Kiara is the youngest of three siblings; she has two older brothers,
Jarrin and Connor, and her family is originally from Colac.
“I have suffered from anxiety from an early age, and feelings of
depression started to become a problem over the last year due
to the pandemic. Not seeing my friends and losing my routine all
contributed to these emotions and I lost the motivation to get up in
the mornings,” she said.
“Anxiety impacted my motivation and ability to complete work, so
my schoolwork often went uncompleted.”
“I felt lonely and worthless.”
“I was very critical of my results and never thought they were high
enough, which led to me being self-conscious of my schoolwork
and I then felt disappointment in the results, no matter how hard I
tried.”
Kiara’s family and friends have been a constant source of support
and she acknowledges the support over the last six years from her
House Leader and Teacher Adviser.
“Their support and care helped me feel a part of a family here
at school, where I am accepted and supported to do my best in
anything I try.”
Kiara likes to keep active; she participates in CrossFit, netball and
football, which for her, is one of the most effective ways to relieve
stress and anxiety and is great in clearing her mind when she
overthinks and dwells on things.
Nowadays, Kiara is still working at overcoming her anxiety with the
help of her local GP and counsellors.
“Over the years, I have gained many strategies that allow me to
feel more relaxed. For example, I list three things I can feel, see
and smell, as using my senses helps me stay focused and be more
present in the moment.”
“Anxiety is a normal feeling that students can suffer from, whether
it comes from within school or outside school, it is nothing to be
ashamed of. I have learnt to be comfortable talking about my
mental health struggles, as I hope that it may inspire someone to
seek help or help to remove the stigma around it,” she said.
“All you can do is your best, if you try your hardest then the results
won’t matter. Talk to your teacher if you are struggling and organise
a time when you can catch up. Make sure you communicate with
your friends and surround yourself with people that make you
happy and make you a better person.”
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