Ben Stokes opens up on taking medication for anxiety to battle mental health issues

England Test captain Ben Stokes has revealed that he is on anxiety drugs medication as he is battling mental health issues after the death of his father. The England all-rounder's father, Gerard Stokes, died of brain cancer in December 2020 and Stokes opted out of his sport for six months as he struggled to come to terms with the loss.

While speaking to the media ahead of the release of his Amazon documentary, ‘Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes, the 31-year-old stated that he still takes medications regularly.

“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," said Stokes.

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

Although the England all-rounder was the hero of England's maiden 50-over World Cup win in 2019, he decided to hang his boots in the ODI format earlier this year. He has chosen to focus on Tests and T20Is after deeming playing all three formats 'unsustainable' for him.

Stokes has been vocal about mental health issues and has not shied away from further opening the debate about the same. The veteran cricketer allowed himself to be filmed for the documentary even when he was not at his best mentally.

"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. 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." he told The Telegraph.

Stokes has recently been appointed England's captain in red-ball cricket and has been tasked with the responsibility of piloting his team to a new era. The England Test team under the regime of Stokes and Brendon McCullum have been playing some remarkable cricket off late.