We face tremendous challenges to our way of life, our health care system and our state budget.

We know that the baby boom has changed society at every age - education, housing, jobs, child care, health care, you name it. That will keep happening as they move into normal retirement, whatever that is.

Some individuals, some communities, are looking seriously at what this means for the future. But we need to raise the level of awareness. This is going to affect us all.

Health care reforms where people discuss legislation and "plans of plans" is the fastest way to a dead end.  Circulation of stagnant ideas, and attempt at their re-organization is never rejuvenating for a system.

Healthy Living will create health collaboration in Fayette County. It works to reduce obesity, heart disease and diabetes. There is a six-week educational program and speakers who teach healthy life skills to community groups.

Sadly, psychiatric training still includes far too little on the very serious psychiatric sequelae of childhood trauma, especially CSA [child sexual abuse]. There is inadequate recognition within mental health services of the prevalence and importance of Dissociative Disorders, sufferers of which are frequently misdiagnosed as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), or, in the cases of DID, schizophrenia.

This is to some extent understandable as some of the features of DID appear superficially to mimic those of schizophrenia and/or Borderline Personality Disorder.