He had left the NRL and was coaching the Dubbo CYMS Rugby League Club, but as he describes it, things behind-the-scenes were "quite challenging".

He tried to take his own life.

On his path to recovery, Mr Williams decided mental health and suicide was something he wanted to start talking about.

"Back when I spent time in the psych unit here in Dubbo I actually made a promise to myself that I was thankful and grateful to be alive, so I made a promise that every day of my life I was going to make a positive impact on someone else," he said.

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By 2014 he was openly discussing mental health and suicide.

"When I started speaking about it I realised how many people it resonated with," he said.

"The conversation around mental health is louder than ever now, but back in 2014, no one spoke about it. There's stigma around it now but think about the stigma back when I was playing in the NRL, or back when I started talking in 2014."

But as he started sharing his story of depression and bipolar disorder, Mr Williams said more and more people were telling him he had put into words exactly what they had been feeling.

"People don't realise depression isn't a bad day, depression isn't some bad mood. Depression robs you of life. It robs you of reality and takes away all hope in your life," Mr Williams said.

"But I realised that concentrating on helping other people, whether it be the work that I do now in schools, or whether it be feeding the homeless or volunteering for charity... that was the key turnaround for me."

He's now sharing his experiences in the upcoming SBS documentary Osher Gunsberg: A Matter of Life and Death.

As well as Mr Gunsberg sharing his own mental health story, the documentary will look at why suicide rates are still so high across the country, particularly among males.

Mr Williams and Mr Gunsberg have been friends for a while. In the documentary, Mr Gunsberg gets an insight into how Indigenous culture is helping people heal spiritually.

Mr Williams said for anyone who was struggling right now, his message was that it did get better.

"My message is also to the ones who aren't struggling. Start to have a look at your circle, have a look at the people around you," he said.

"There's so much emphasis on the people who aren't well to reach out. I had 400 numbers in my phone the day I attempted to take my life.

"I couldn't pick it up and call anyone, because again, depression robs you of reality. I couldn't call my mum, I couldn't call my kids, I couldn't call anyone because it tricks you into believing that you're worthless.

"We need people to reach out. That's the most important message."

Osher Gunsberg: A Matter of Life and Death will air on SBS on Sunday, September 19.

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