People often go through challenging times during their lives, and in most cases find it necessary to communicate their feelings in order to move on. When someone is hurt either physically or mentally, however,moving on can become quite challenging. Some are held back because they may be scared of the consequences, or might feel threatened by the events that happened in the past. Others simply try to ignore the situation hoping that the issue will just get better in time. The novel, Speak, written by Laurie Halse Anderson, and modern sources explore the way that a traumatic incident can lead to mental instability and isolation.

A traumatic incident, such as rape, is a serious situation that instantly causes intense suffering to the victim. After this type of incident, it is common for a victim to feel sensitive and scared, which causes the person to become vulnerable to seeking help. As a result, rape victims sometimes internalize their trauma and sometimes are so afraid that they do not even report the crime. There are many ways a traumatic incident can be resolved, however the victim must be willing to seek help. In the article, “Why Rape Victims Must Talk about Their Trauma,” written by Rousbeh Legatis, it states, “Victims must talk about their trauma in order to be healed. Talking about a situation and where and why they have problems in their daily life so one can feel relief” (Legatis et al. 2). This explains why speaking is the main key in the process of recovery. Without being able to express feelings, the victim must hold in all of his suffering which is painful and scary. In Speak, Melinda was raped and had to hide pain in silence because she had nobody to talk to. Her parents had no interest in her problems, she had no friends to confide in, and she did not have any siblings to look after her. She was afraid for her safety because she was the one who called the police to the party, but she did it because she was raped. Melinda struggled throughout most of high school as her emotions and sadness continued to affect her. Near the end of Melinda’s year of high school, she was forced into a claustrophobic closet forced to face her worst fear: the guy who raped her. As he tried to rape her again, this time Melinda was able to speak her feelings. “A sound exploded from me. NNOOO!!!” (Anderson 194). Melinda screamed as if all of her feelings from the whole year exploded at once, so she was saved from the closet. This event finally allowed Melinda to speak up for herself and tell the world what actually happened to her. Prior to being raped, Melinda had always been a fun, happy, and energetic girl.  Afterwards she became withdrawn and unstable.  It was actually the event in the closet which gave her the confidence to deal with all of her problems.  She was finally able to talk about what had happened to her and find some relief from the pain she had dealt with for so long. 

After a traumatic incident, the victim can be in great danger if he does not choose to seek help. This can lead to a mental or mood instability. When a victim is unstable, the way he deals with stressful situations often triggers depression. In the article “Mood Instability, Mental Illness, and Suicidal Thoughts,” written by Steven Marwaha, it states, “Mood instability independently explained suicidal thinking, and is strongly associated with depression” (Marwaha et al. 1). This explains that when someone is mentally unstable, they may begin to have suicidal thoughts which is a situation that needs attention immediately. The victim is so vulnerable after a traumatic incident and doesn't know how to cope with such difficult situations by themselves. Melinda, in Speak, is an example of a victim who developes a mental instability after she had been raped. She knew everyone hated her, even her family who was supposed to be supportive. However, Melinda did not speak up and her parents could not understand Melinda's bizarre behavior.  Instead of offering support, they often questioned her depression and attitude, never realizing that their daughter had been raped at a party. Melinda stated in the novel, “I open up a paper clip and scratch it across the inside of my left wrist” (Anderson 87). She began cutting herself, which was a way for her to cope with the depression in her difficult life. She lacked the support she needed from her parents. Her mom made it clear that she had no interest and could not make time for her daughter’s problems (Anderson 88). Melinda may not think that harming herself shows risk of possibly committing suicide, but accepts it as a way to help her soothe the pain she is unable to release. This again is a result of keeping too much pain and suffering inside instead of finding someone to speak to.  Had Melinda's parents known the true reason for her behavior, they probably would have offered support and guidance instead of always questioning her behavior. 

Nobody ever wants to feel like they do not belong in the world, but sadly people often feel unwelcomed and isolated after a traumatic event. After the victim has becomes more isolated and depressed, their friends and family may begin to separate from them. There are many ways to overcome isolation; however, just like depression, people are often too afraid to speak up and receive support. The article “Social Isolation, Psychological Health, and Protective Factors in Adolescence,” written by Hall-Lande mentions “Implications for prevention such as building healthy peer relationships, promoting family, connectedness, and developing school based interventions” (Lande et al. 1). These are all ways to help someone recover from isolation. Without these ways to help, it can be extremely difficult to overcome being alone and feeling useless in the world. These methods completely contrast how Melinda dealt with her situation. When she became lonely, she decided that there were no solutions so she continued feeling lonely. “This closet is abandoned- it has no purpose, no name. It is the perfect place for me” (Anderson 26). Melinda was in need for the healthy relationships which could have provided her confidence in her school and at her home. She was isolated from her classmates, and though she did not have many friends, she felt even more removed.  She became disinterested in her schoolwork and felt very alone and depressed. Being isolated can make someone feel like they have no purpose for living and as a result, depressed and unstable.  Simply having one good friend or family member to talk to can really make a big difference in dealing with isolation.

There are a plethora of people who suffer from traumatic incidents which unfortunately lead to mental instabilities and isolation when their issues are not treated properly.  It is obvious that in cases like Melissas that finding the ability to talk about what happened can be very difficult. If one can find the strength to stand up for themselves, then this becomes the greatest opportunity for success, and can give the victim hope again. Speaking about tragedies can be very difficult, but the moment the situation is off one's shoulder, it lets out a big sigh of relief. No person deserves to go through such a difficult time alone especially knowing that this can easily lead to depression and even suicide. Everyone needs a friend, a family member, or even a therapist to help cope with problems, and help find solutions to their sadness. There will always be bumps in the road, and some of those bumps can be pretty big.  No matter what, though, life is worth living and people need to verbalize what they are feeling in order to help resolve whatever issues they are dealing with.  Traumatic events are too difficult to try and overcome all by yourself.