Now he's dedicating his time to helping other men find support for mental health issues, and has received a nomination at the 2021 Men's Health Awards.

The nomination, one of nine for Best Content Creator or Community Builder, is because of Mr Trotter's Black Dog Community Facebook group and Instagram page which he began in 2017.

Mr Trotter said he is "absolutely blown away" with the nomination.

"It's very humbling. I'm extremely happy that for the past four years that I've been putting in more and more time and effort into assisting people in their mental health journey, is starting to pay off," he said.

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In 2017, Mr Trotter was inspired to begin helping others because of his own struggles with his mental health.

"I have severe depression, ADHD, anxiety and I have also suffered from addiction," he said.

"I grew up in Warracknabeal... You were a man before you knew it. If you were a man that was crying, you got a bit of a flogging. Your daddy gave you a smack.

"I can remember times at the age of ten, thinking about taking my life, things that I still find hard to talk about," he said.

"Many people would know I was a very troubled person, quite violent, all that sort of stuff. Involved in beating people up and stupid things. I was a bad drunk, quite violent as a drunk especially towards other men."

"I made three attempts on my life, through the ages of 25 to 40. It was just not being able to cope with what was going on in my life. I thought it was the way out.

"But at the end of the day I'm glad it didn't take place, and I now get to assist those who are struggling. It was time to give back."

Despite his troubled past, Mr Trotter said he wouldn't change what happened.

"It's taught me so much. It's given me a real understanding when people contact me, especially around addiction and alcoholism," he said.

"There's more people like myself who go through this struggle and realise that we haven't done the right thing. It's a good way to give back.

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"They're all the things I've been through, and experience outweighs a textbook any day of the week. That's what people are looking for, they're looking for a real person to help them move forward."

Mr Trotter sees part of his work as helping men reach not for drugs or the bottle to cope with their problems, but reaching out to others for help.

"We all use our escape mechanisms, whether that be alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana or all the drugs under the sun," he said.

Mr Trotter hopes the community's he's helped build will help those who need help to feel safe in reaching out.

"It's just about helping people. It's just about what it was like when I couldn't reach out,"

Mr Trotter believes the emergence of online communities, and organisations such as LifeLine and Beyond Blue, mean finding help is easier than it ever has been.

"There's a vast number of sites that you can go to, especially LifeLine and Beyond Blue, they do a fantastic job."

"You look on Instagram and as well as (the Black Dog Community) there's hundreds of sites on all sides. I think we're in a better position than we were even five years ago,"

"Things have changed significantly. I believe the younger generation are far better equipped than my generation."

Mr Trotter believes the mental health crisis is "bigger than COVID" and said the publicity the issue is receiving is trending upwards.

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"We're definitely going in the right direction at the moment," Mr Trotter said.

In 2019, Mr Trotter did a 12 month psychology course through SpotEd to be able to better cope with the influx of calls and messages he was receiving, and to better help those who needed it.

"It was quite in depth. It was extremely good. There was a lot I took away from it. I learned a lot about myself through doing that course." Mr Trotter said.

"It's a lot of work to listen, and to give people the space they need to unload their demons and their issues. A lot of people are looking for reassurance."

"One person at a time, you're making a drastic change."

Voting for the Men's Health awards is now open, award winners will be announced at the end of June.

If you or a loved one need support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

If you are looking for a mental health service, visit betterhealth.vic.gov.au

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