As a combat veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm, I was asked a question by some college students: How do you cope with veteran suicide? My response was, “I can’t.”

We lose 22 veterans a day to suicide. That’s too many. Veterans Affairs (VA) can only do so much.

My life changed when I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Anxiety, depression, anger ... I thought I could handle it, but I was wrong. I think about suicide on a daily basis. I put on a smile to hide the pain.

I have a small veteran group, my daughter and a couple of co-workers who truly care and check up on me.

I can’t count on two hands how many brothers and sisters I’ve lost to suicide. It hits the hardest when you are sitting in your apartment/house/trailer and you’re looking at four walls.

I don’t want to bother my friends with what is going on in my head.

The VA will assign you a therapist, give you meds.

But what happens when the meds don’t work? We turn to alcohol and drugs, shut out our close friends, and isolate ourselves from the world. That’s when the thoughts hit.

We as a community and a nation do not do enough for our veterans who suffer from PTSD.

Bill Hilliard, Butler City