Ben Stokes: England Test captain on mental health, including his struggle with anxiety and panic attacks | Cricket News

England Test captain Ben Stokes took a break from the sport last year to focus on his mental health; “I’m still taking medication every day. It’s an ongoing process”

Ben Stokes is still on anxiety medication after returning from a six-month break to focus on his wellbeing

England Test captain Ben Stokes has kept the dialogue on mental health going as the all-rounder revealed he was still on anxiety medication after returning from a six-month break to focus on his wellbeing.

The 31-year-old took a break from the sport last year to focus on his mental health as he was suffering from a series of panic attacks following the loss of his father to brain cancer almost two years ago.

He announced in July he would retire from one-day cricket citing the “unsustainable” rigour of playing all three formats of the game.

“I never thought I would be on medication to help me for that kind of stuff. I am not embarrassed or ashamed to say it because I needed the help at the time,” Stokes said in an Amazon documentary, which will be released on Friday.

“But it’s not done just because I’m back playing. I still speak to the doc, not as regularly, and I’m still taking medication every day. It’s an ongoing process.”

“People think they can’t ask people who have struggled. No. It’s fine. I’ll happily tell you as much as I possibly can”

Ben Stokes

Stokes said he felt deep resentment towards cricket due to a lack of support from some in the England hierarchy and pondered if he was “playing for the wrong people” because he had been unable to visit his dying father, Ged, who passed away in 2020 with brain cancer, as much as he wanted.

“So I had a real thing with cricket at the time I took a break. I was really angry at the sport because it was dictating when I could see my dad,” he told the Telegraph in an interview.

Stokes began to struggle with anxiety and panic attacks and stressed the importance of opening up about mental health, ultimately stepping away from the sport, adding it was not human nature to pretend to be fine.

“I find sometimes people are a bit nervous to go into the detail about that kind of stuff with me. It’s perceived you can’t feel a certain way – that’s a sign of weakness to show that you are not mentally feeling great,” he said.

“People think they can’t ask people who have struggled. No. It’s fine. I’ll happily tell you as much as I possibly can.”