Darryl Coventry explains how he rediscovered a reason for living

The former policeman had his feet in floodwaters as he sat on a swing after having told his story of childhood sexual abuse and law enforcement trauma.

Ripples from that day still wash through the 53-year-old father of two's life now as he recalls the reaction.

"It was a huge positive," Mr Coventry said.

"(People) said you're very brave and it's great to see someone speaking out, because four years ago we weren't normalising post-traumatic stress disorder; we were still being stigmatised."

The article followed a nervous breakdown in 2013 when he was working at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in Canberra.

"I walked into an executive meeting and couldn't read my own writing," he said.

"I pretty much ended up on the floor and they tried to nurse me back into the organisation but it became clear my pathway was to medically retire."

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That episode triggered a downturn, which saw him hospitalised 22 times for psychiatric treatment and live in a haze of boozing.

Having moved to Albury to be closer to his children, Mr Coventry continued to struggle. Although he found a passion in bowls it was a meeting with former Border police chief Beth Docksey on Anzac Day in 2017 that transformed his life.

"Out of that came this support network, these people that wanted to ring you up and ask if you were okay," Mr Coventry said.

That then blossomed into a group Bowls Gr8 for Brains which formed last October with the aim of supporting former police and military personnel suffering mental fallout tied to their work life.

Now it aids others in anguish, such as bushfire survivors and troubled farmers.

"We made that decision after we went to Deniliquin because they said 'we need it for our farmers'," Mr Coventry said.

"They lost their water and the abattoir closed and it was all about the drought and the uptake at Deniliquin has been incredible."

Bowls Australia is now looking to partner the group in expanding it further with plans for Bowls Gr8 for Brains running mental health first aid courses to broaden skills and knowledge.

Mr Coventry spends about 20 hours a week working as the secretary of the board.

"It's remarkable how far we've come and the people that have come on board," he said. "All I wanted to do is promote it and it's surprised me how quickly it's grown."

Mr Coventry is telling his story, like four years ago, to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day on Thursday.

He's been speaking while seated at his kitchen table at his Lavington home which has a window framing his backyard shed.

It's there where the former outback police boss sought to end his life and when asked where he would be without the bowls group, Mr Coventry points to the outbuilding and starts to tear up.

"Four years ago it was just thinking differently, in four years time it's being prepared to learn something and being prepared to accept other people," he said.

"Look at what we're doing, there's nothing to lose, it's a free bowling session."