One Night Changed a Life in the Book, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
1029 WordsJul 17, 20185 Pages
Melinda Sordino was just a young teenage girl trying to have some fun. Now, she is loathed by afar for something nobody understands. During a summer party, Melinda drunkenly fumbled for the phone and dialed the cops. As she enters her freshman year of high school, her friends refuse to talk to her, and she escapes into the dark forests of her mind. “I am Outcast” (Anderson 4). But something about that party was not right. Something she tried not to relive but to forget. “I have worked so hard to forget every second of that stupid party, and here I am in the middle of a hostile crowd that hates me for what I had to do. I can’t tell them what really happened. I can’t even look at that part of myself” (Anderson 28). Depression is a…show more content… “It is easier not to say anything. Shut your trap, button your lip, can it. All that crap you hear on TV about communication and expressing feelings is a lie. Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say” (Anderson 9).One in five teenagers will have an occurrence of depression during adolescence, and it affects twice as many teenage girls than boys (Roth). A psychotherapeutic approach most often used is known as cognitive behavioral therapy. Throughout therapy, one gains techniques on how to deal with stress, communicate with others more adeptly, and more. Joining a team sport or other arranged activities can promote positive peer experiences and healthy relationships. Furthermore, teenagers and parents should take note of the issues that come with early dating. Parents play a critical role in preventing depression. You can surely see the relationship Melinda has with her parents just by this: “We communicate with notes on the kitchen counter. I write when I need school supplies or a ride to the mall. They write what time they’ll be home from work and if I should thaw anything. What else is there to say?” (Anderson 14). They should make an effort to set aside time to talk, discover what excites and concerns their child, uphold their child to express his or her feelings, acknowledge achievements and appreciate strengths, provide feedback, make and eat meals together, and reply to ire with consolation (Mayo