In the News...

An article came out in yesterday's The Berkeley Daily Planet about last week's tragic shooting in Tuscson.  Here is an excerpt: ..."What happened in Tucson was partly a failure of the mental health treatment system there.  The professionals with whom the shooter has come into contact were not able to discern in advance that this particular mentally ill person was potentially extremely violent.  Mental health science, as far as I can tell, is developed enough to predict such a thing.  Perhaps funding cuts in mental health treatment has played a role in the lack of screening that this individual has received...."

Cuts in just about everything are ubiquitous nowadays.   But highly detrimental consequences are resulting from cuts in health care.  It is disturbing to think about what happens to people in this country because so many cannot afford basic health care.  And ironically, we are turning into a very unhealthy population; obesity rates continue to rise, chronic diseases are manifesting themselves earlier and more prominently, and now resources for people seeking mental health services seem to be drying up.  You would think that Americans would make provisions for avoiding visits to their physicians, since repeated ones or costly special procedures drain so many of our bank accounts and may once again continue to do so for some time.  But we don't behave as if our next doctor visit could set us back thousands of dollars.  We are much more reckless than that.  All the more reason to be proactive about  your health and wellness and think holistically.