Maps of the United States & mental illness

A map of the rate of mental illness in the United States suggests some geographic patterns however the reason for the pattern is not speculated about in the following article: http://www.newsweek.com/nearly-1-5-americans-suffer-mental-illness-each-year-230608

For comparison purposes consider this map of the locations of fracking sites, not an exact overlap but similar regions are highlighted: https://earthjustice.org/features/campaigns/fracking-across-the-united-states

And then add in the many decade struggle with radioactive waste in Hanford Washington. The article doesn’t have a map but Washington state is in the upper left corner of the contiguous United States:  https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/washington/articles/2017-05-09/history-of-hanford-nuclear-waste-site-in-washington-state

Radiation exposure has been associated with an increase in PTSD, depression and anxiety but that was when the exposure was known and could be worried about. https://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2015/aug/09/nagasaki-anniversary-radiation-nuclear-mental-health

Residents of the Washington State and surrounding regions have not been warned about any potential for increased radiation exposure or potential benefit of assuring adequate iodine intake to protect their thyroid and other glands from radioactive iodine. More of the opposite reaction has occurred in the U.S. health care system. Radioactive iodine is considered a therapy and scanning tests that use radioactive iodine do not work as well when the individual has plenty of iodine.

A simple search of the Pub Med site for “radioactive iodine” gives 13,171 search results: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=radioactive+iodine  “radioactive iodine therapy” gave 5307 results: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=radioactive+iodine+therapy

iodine nutrient therapy” gave 1403 results that include radioactive iodine, I’m not familiar with whether I can exclude terms from the results. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=iodine%20nutrient%20therapy

Coincidentally, or not, depression is a symptom of hypothyroidism and irritability is also mentioned here: https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/hypothyroidism-too-little-thyroid-hormone

Both hypo- and hyperthyroidism is associated in psychiatric circles with panic levels of anxiety including PTSD. Other psychiatric conditions found more often in patients who also have thyroid conditions include bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder and psychotic disorder/paranoid psychosis: http://www.mdedge.com/currentpsychiatry/article/62439/identifying-hypothyroidisms-psychiatric-presentations

Iodine is an essential nutrient that helps prevent or treat congenital and other types of hypothyroidism and the main U.S. medical database has fewer than 1403 entries using non-radioactive iodine in therapeutic ways – it can’t be patented.

A general search engine gave 9,210,000 results for “patent for radioactive iodine” https://www.bing.com/search?q=patent+on+radioactive+iodine&form=EDGTCT&qs=PF&cvid=46f8b85d9f214ee7873433434493b545&cc=US&setlang=en-US&PC=HCTS

I’m only slightly surprised by the vast number of results for patents on a poison that is produced as a waste product of nuclear reactions.

A for-profit health care system is an oxymoron that may be harming more than helping our population and likely is harming our ground water supply as well, in my opinion at least.

/Disclosure: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes./