A fresh look at a veterans PTSD group

Albuquerque Tribune reporter Casey Philips visits a "talking circle" at the Albuquerque Veteran Affairs Medical Center, where American Indian veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder meet twice each month. Philips goes beyond the usual visit-to-a-PTSD-group story by examining relevant cultural factors (the "talking circle" format draws on American Indian traditions) and explaining the benefits of group support.

The story includes an in-depth discussion with the group's facilitator, VA psychologist James Gillies, and several moving accounts from veterans:

"People like stories that have a beautiful ending, but none of the stuff we're here for has a beautiful ending," said Thomas Bitsie, 59, a Navajo from Shiprock who said he lost his religion to alcohol after watching too many friends die during combat.

"The only thing that war determines, I suppose, is who's left. I put up with it, but I needed a lot of cooling off, and I did it with a Coors Lite."