Craig Hamilton was among the first brave souls to speak out about mental health.
He did so 20 years ago, publishing a book based on his experience of psychosis while at a train station headed to cover the Sydney Olympics for ABC Sport in 2000.
Mr Hamilton, who lives with bipolar disorder, has continued to be a mental health advocate and speaker.
He's more recently turned his focus to suicide prevention, giving talks across the country.
"We have danced around suicide for too long. It's a subject no one wants to talk about. It's taboo and stigmatised."
He said fears about reporting on suicide had stifled discussion about the issue.
"It's been counterproductive to stick our heads in the sand," the former ABC radio sports presenter said.
The Newcastle Herald reported in March that the Hunter New England health district recorded 1331 suicides from 2012 to 2021 - the most in NSW.
The Hunter New England's rate of 14 suicides per 100,000 people was above the NSW rate of 10.5 and the national rate of 12.3.
Additionally, more than 10,000 people are being turned away from emergency departments annually for mental health issues in Hunter New England and the Central Coast.
Mr Hamilton said the statistics were "shocking".
"I've been in this space for 20 years and I've never seen numbers like that," he said.
"The figures are all the more staggering when you think of the people who don't turn up to get help because they feel stigmatised," he said.
"They suck it up and suffer in silence. The answer is a system with more available crisis care."
He said it was "clear that the system isn't working".
"The mental health system has been under-resourced for as long as I've been aware of it, particularly in crisis healthcare."
He also backed calls for more "adequately resourced Safe Havens".
"So if the system is overwhelmed there are other options."
He said the data underlined that "we've gone backwards".
"The pointy end of this is the lack of resources and beds."
The Herald also reported this week that about 120,000 people in the Hunter Region live with "high levels of psychological distress".
And about 18,000 people in the region aged 25 to 64 live with a severe mental illness.
Mr Hamilton released a documentary last year, titled The Promise.
It is planned to be available on a streaming service this year.
In the film, he revealed his experience of being suicidal and going through manic highs and depressive lows.
"With my own battle with mental ill health, which hit a peak in 2000, I experienced depression, mania and psychosis, which led to a bipolar diagnosis.
"The depression was so great that I experienced suicidal thinking. That's scary.
"Six months before that, I would have thought that could never be me."
He said his story was "one of hope that people can recover from the darkest points".
"There's a way through with the right support. You can get better and live a great life," he said.
He said bipolar was considered to be "very much a genetic illness".
"There is no question, and I think this is true for many mental health conditions, trauma is associated with it.
"Whether that's from early childhood, teenage years or during the 20s or 30s and beyond - it's still trauma.
"If it's not addressed, processed and healed, it has the capacity to come back later through mental or physical illness."
He noted that COVID was a traumatic experience for many people.
"The pandemic brought trauma for relationships, businesses went broke, people lost their jobs and kids couldn't go to school and see their friends."
The film features Mr Hamilton's story, along with world champion boxer Tim Tszyu and rugby league legends Wayne Bennett and Paul Harragon.
It highlights the need for people to get "the right care" before they "get into a critical situation".
NSW Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson released a gap analysis this week that showed "our mental health system is experiencing significant challenges in meeting increasing service demand".
"We know we need to do more when it comes to protecting the mental health of our people in NSW," Ms Jackson said.
She said the next stage of the gap analysis report was "expected to be published by the end of this year".
"It will provide a full picture of what is required to bridge the gaps of the mental health system - including staffing, infrastructure and investment."
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; Mensline 1300 789 978; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.
