Our lost youth: Orange man Matthew French opens up on mental health battle

This would be a devastating revelation to anyone, let alone a person entering what is meant to be the prime of their life.

"I went through a stage where I wasn't the friendliest, wasn't the happiest person," he said.

The tumour spread "pretty quickly" and Mr French required eight weeks worth of radiation therapy. This left him with a permanent change to how he looked.

"As you can see from my eye, the treatment I had caused problems," he added.

"At the time, I was very self-conscious. I didn't like people looking at me, I didn't like anyone making a comment, I didn't like anyone asking about me or what I'd had done.

"I know they only did it out of care, but at the time, I couldn't see that. As a young bloke, a 25-year-old, I didn't see that."

While Mr French's mental health battles never got so bad that he would class it as depression, there was a period afterwards where he didn't feel right.

"I couldn't sleep, I was angry and I think that's natural after having a massive upheaval in your life, you do get angry. It probably took me about four or five years to get out of it," he said.

"I think one of the biggest things with myself at the time, was a bit of shame. But there's no shame in being down or sad or depressed, everyone goes through it. People who say they've never been in that situation are probably a bit delusional."

He recalls that during his treatment, there were people available to talk to and places he could go to seek help with his mental health. He also recalls not giving those people a second thought.

"I was a 25-year-old kid and not mature enough to know, so I just said 'nah, I'll be right'," he added.

"In hindsight I should have (spoken to someone). I think it would have helped me deal with it at that time. They offered me support, but I just didn't take it."

Soon after he got married, he and his wife left Orange in NSW's Central West and moved down the coast.

In his words, he became anonymous in a new town, unburdened by the unwanted attention that came from how his ordeal.

By the time he returned home to Orange, it was "old news."

Now the principal at St Joseph's Primary School in Molong in the NSW Central West, Mr French still battles with the pressures of everyday life, but for the most part, his mental health is in a good place.

"If I'd been going through now, what I went through then, I'd definitely seek help," he said.

"Maturity plays a massive part in swallowing your pride, where as a kid you think you're indestructible."

He has even taken his own advice and sought help in recent weeks through the 'Beyond the Bullshit' mental health seminars organised by Jamie Stedman.

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"He's taken us on board and it's coming from a person who's been there and got a life experience," Mr French said.

"I've never been one of those people to talk about it openly, but if someone has asked me about it, I've been happy to talk.

"I think what Stedo is doing amazing. He's getting blokes together and giving them a place to talk."

The next session is being held on November 6. Tickets are $15 per session with finger food provided and tickets can be purchased from The Agrestic Grocer website.