For a lot of Australians, seeing a psychiatrist does not involve a 12-hour round trip.
But that was the reality for Vietnam veteran Wally Wales when he needed it a decade ago.
He would travel six hours from his home town of Ungarie, in southern New South Wales, to Sydney and back for his appointments.
"I'd leave here about two o'clock in the morning and get down to Sydney and see the bloke," Mr Wales said.
"I'd be home, very weary, by about nine or 10 o'clock at night."
Mr Wales said returning from Vietnam became "quite a heavy pressure" as he was treated poorly due to the anti-war movement at the time.
"I wasn't brought home to Australia, my country was different to this, there were so many changes back here," Mr Wales said.
"I've got tablets to try and take away the anger but when things go wrong it doesn't work."
Phil Rogan, also a Vietnam veteran seeking help, would sometimes join Mr Wales on those trips to Sydney.
When times got tough, Mr Rogan sought solace on his property at Ungarie.
"There's about [24 hectares] on the creek and in a few places it's like Vietnam, it's timbered, there's scrub," he said.
"I used to go down there and sit and just think about what was going on."
Difficulties accessing mental health services
Their story highlights the challenges regional veterans face when accessing mental health support.
Riverina Veteran Wellbeing Centre manager Charlotte Webb said COVID had exposed a lack of access to mental health providers nationally.
She said people struggling during lockdowns put a massive strain on the normal avenues of mental health support, which had a flow-on effect for veterans.
"Veterans and their families are now competing with mainstream Australia to try to get access to these," she said.
Ms Webb said telehealth was starting to fill that void, but it did not suit everyone.
"It's a matter of trying to figure out what channels to go down and what ways to best get them in contact with the right people," she said.
Royal commission to focus on recruit training
The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide will visit Wagga Wagga, 200km south of Ungarie, this week.
The regional city is home to Air Force and Navy bases and every enlisted soldier in the country begins their career at the Kapooka Training Centre, which is widely known as 'the home of the soldier'.
Commissioner Peggy Brown said the hearings would focus on issues involving training at local recruitment schools.
"Training, particularly the initial training, is a really important part of a young recruit's career," she said.
"They're learning skills and acquiring knowledge but they're also taking on board the cultural aspects.
"We've heard a lot from submissions, private sessions, lived experience, that it's a potential issue contributing to suicidality."
'50 years too late'
The royal commission's interim report highlighted the challenges veterans faced when transitioning from the Australian Defence Force back into civilian life.
Mr Wales said its visit to Wagga Wagga was "50 years too late".
He wanted to see more immediate support provided to veterans during that transition period.
"Anyone who goes overseas to serve the country, should still be in the military for a minimum of 12 months after they come home, or two years preferably, so the system can look after them," Mr Wales said.
Phil Rogan agreed and said it was vital the pension application process happened quickly.
"Settle them down and give them the support that they can and very quickly when they come back."
The Pro Patria Centre in Wagga, which helps veterans and their families with their wellbeing, will present its submission at the Wagga Wagga hearing.
The centre's Jim Read, a general practitioner who works with veterans, said innovative therapies to treat conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder were emerging and should be prioritised.
Dr Read said funding was needed to deliver and research therapies such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, also known as TMS, which involved using magnetic fields to stimulate the brain and treat depression.
"We need funding for this research, and we need to be prioritising that because people are dying and not just that, families are falling apart," he said.
