When servicemen and servicewomen leave war zones and return home there is little to no decompression or transition time.“For a lot of guys, they’ll be in country, filling out paperwork, and then on their way to Lambert,” said Gary J. Ellul, Ph.D.Ellul, a veteran, is a counseling therapist at Bridgeway Behavioral Health in Warrenton. He leads the Warriors’ Journey Home program there and its Healing Circles. The Warriors’ Journey Home organization started some 20 years ago. Missouri is just one state where it’s practiced.At home, service members get thanked for their service, but what they really went through in combat goes unspoken. No one could understand except someone who has been there, said Ellul.“You have people with guns shooting at you... They’re told ‘Run over everything in your path.’ You’re doing what you have learned are the most immoral things we can do. Any normal person would not be able to comprehend that. They would immediately be thinking of another way to do it,” Ellul said. “Another vet can feel true sympathy.”The Veterans of Foreign Wars, founded in 1899, and American Legion, founded in 1919, popped up across the country after those early wars to give veterans a place to meet and receive a certain level of support as they returned to civilian life.They opened before society knew about post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Eullul said, statistically, veterans have higher incidents of suicide, substance and alcohol abuse, divorce and unemployment than the general population.Wartime PTSD seems to lead to the problems.“We call it ‘soul wound’ because it does change you, in good ways and not so good ways,” Ellul said.He added that addiction can be treated, people can get sober, but it the addiction will likely keep returning until the source of the pain begins to heal.The Healing Circles are deeply rooted in the practices and philosophies of Native Americans, or more specifically, the Dakota Tribe. Ellul explained how American Indians went to battle then returned home to purge themselves of the sins of war in sweat lodges and with dancing rituals.“As a group we go through the different rituals,” Ellul said. “For most of the people who’ve come through the circles, I’ve seen relief.”Ellul said four to 12 people attend each meeting. Some attend every meeting while others come when an issue arises in their lives.Warriors’ Journey Home meets the second Sunday of every month at Bridgeway Behavioral Health, 1206 East Veterans Memorial Parkway. For more information contact Ellul at 636-224-1411 or gellul@bridgewaybh.com. It also can be found on Facebook.

Gary J. Ellul, counseling therapist with Bridgeway Behavioral Health, stands in the center of the Healing Circle for veterans.

Record photo/Kate Miller