"It was a full manic episode of both auditory and visual hallucinations. I didn't know what was happening - everything was speeding up and there were voices in my head," he said.

Mr Ottley continued to experience these episodes of mania, typically twice a year until his mid forties.

He received a formal diagnoses of type 1 bipolar disorder, but despite receiving treatment, it didn't help.

"I've never been a drinker of a drug taker and I was very compliant with medication," he said. "It just never worked."

An artist, Mr Ottley said there was times when he probably exasperated the mania as it allowed him to be extremely productive.

"Then there were plenty of times each year where I couldn't work at all - sometimes up to six months," he said.

After two suicide attempts, Mr Ottley said he reached a point where it was either do everything he could to end his life or take a new approach.

Through a naturopath and fairly extensive therapy, Mr Ottley now has the tools to avoid mania.

"I still have the beginnings of episodes but they don't go anywhere," he said.

A collection of Mr Ottley's illustrations from his soon-to-be-released book, The Tree Of Ecstasy and Unbearable Silence, is currently being exhibited at the Orange Regional Gallery.

Mr Ottley will travel to Orange on Friday to give a multimedia presentation at the gallery, which will include a reading and discussion.

"I want to take readers and listeners visually and musically into an exploration of what psychosis feels like," he said.

"I want to inspire all sorts of discussion around that."

Mr Ottley said there is still a long way to go in destigmatising bipolar disorder.

"It's not really that well understood now and the jury is still out on how much is biological and how much is environmental," he said.

"Medications have obviously gotten better and for most people they do work, but often with very severe side effects."

Despite this, Mr Ottley said he now lives a positive life, rather than living in fear of the next episode.

"I've become very hyper aware of when an episode is coming along and I take measures to avoid them," he said.

Mr Ottley will speak about his experience with bi-polar disorder and the creation of the exhibition on Friday at 5.30pm. His exhibition will run until October 13.