Jillian Oliver was working in a remote area as a police officer — a job she loved — when a sudden accident changed the direction of her life.
"My vehicle rolled 175 metres down a mountain and my partner and I are extremely lucky to be alive," she says.
"I ended up with an injury to my right arm and my neck … and ended up with an arm amputation."
That was about 10 years ago yet the physical and emotional scars remain.
"I am still dealing with pain 24/7 and the psychological stress of it and have been diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)," Ms Oliver says.
"The journey has been a very difficult one. It is not just impacting me, it's also the family, my kids and my husband.
'It's having that bond': art class helping heal lives
A friend suggested Ms Oliver, who lives on the NSW Mid North Coast, start painting.
One of her artworks, depicting an Australian Army service in Afghanistan, was later used by the army in fundraising efforts for an orphanage in Afghanistan.
It started a chain of events that prompted Ms Oliver to create an art as therapy class at Wingham three years ago with the help of local art teacher Ron Hindmarsh.
The aim was to help former emergency service and defence personnel cope with work-related injuries and PTSD and the class has steadily grown.
Ms Oliver says it has given her renewed purpose.
Ms Oliver says a big part of healing is being part of a community.
"It's having that bond because when you leave a service, emergency services or military, there's a real bond between them like a family," she says.
"When you get separated from that it's really hard to adjust to civilian life, so we have just created that similar bond here.
Mr Hindmarsh says it is a great environment.
"The feeling among them now is like an extended family," he says.
'Had to get the stress out of my life'
Vietnam veteran Terry Roe has found solace in the group.
"I spent a year on HMAS Sydney in 1971 taking troops to Vietnam and my son was born with a cleft palate and growth deficiency," he says.
"I thought it was my fault that he got it and it was really Agent Orange that caused that problem.
Ray Hurst also says he looks forward to the class each week.
"I was in a very bad way when I came here with PTSD," he says.
"It is a good day out, I have a great time here and the comradeship changes your life."
Joe Donnelly is a retired psychologist who joined the Wingham art class as he felt he could still help others.
"I came here because of the experiences I encountered as a psychologist," he says.
"I met a lot of people who were traumatised and needed to understand how to go through a recovery process.
"That to me shows how traumatised some men have been, and still are, and it's important to listen to them."
According to Beyond Blue, the prevalence of PTSD in Australian adults is estimated to be 4 per cent.
In 2018, the organisation conducted a national mental health and wellbeing study of police and emergency services.
It found that PTSD rates were up to 11 per cent for the police force, 8 per cent for the ambulance service, 9 per cent for fire and rescue and 6 per cent for the State Emergency Services sector.
'They have surprised themselves'
Artworks created in the class are displayed and sold, providing a further sense of achievement and a way to keep looking forward.
"They have not only surprised me, they have surprised themselves," Mr Hindmarsh says.
Ms Oliver says it can transform a day.
