Illinois County VA Superintendent Veteran Locked Out For PTSD?

Advocate for veterans says PTSD caused manic episode 
Belleville News Democrat
BY ELIZABETH DONALD
July 18, 2015

“PTSD is not a mental disease, it is a neurochemical change brought on by the experiences of combat or stress,” he said. It is very common for people with PTSD not to even seek treatment due to its massive misunderstandings, he said — “being good soldiers, they keep their mouths shut.” Dr. Jay Liss

A Madison County veterans’ advocate has been locked out of his office after a mental break related to post-traumatic stress disorder, and he is suing the county for permission to return to work, with the backing of the commission that hired him.

Bradley Lavite is the superintendent of the Madison County Veterans Assistance Commission, which operates a number of veterans’ services out of the Madison County Administration Building. Lavite is a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves and an adjunct professor of military science with the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Reserve Officer Training Corps. Library of Congress records indicate Lavite served in Kuwait, Fallujah and Baghdad, achieving the rank of captain as platoon leader and convoy commander. Through his service, he has been decorated with the Combat Action Badge, two National Defense Service medals and the Bronze Star, among others. He became superintendent of the VAC in 2009, and was named veteran of the month by the state of Illinois in 2012.

But Lavite has had problems, which his attorney said are attributed to post-traumatic stress disorder relating to his service. In early March, his wife applied for a temporary restraining order, though later she asked a judge to let the order expire. In that application, Sherry Lavite wrote that her husband now had been properly diagnosed and medicated, which had not always been the case since returning from service overseas.

“America doesn’t understand combat in general,” he said. “They’re used to going to the movies, seeing horrible things...and think they’re a veteran themselves, because they’re used to turning it off and going for pizza.” read more here