Ben Stokes, the captain of England’s test team, continued the conversation on mental health when he admitted that, despite taking a six-month vacation from cricket to focus on his health, he was still taking an anxiety medication.
The 31-year-old retired from the sport last year to focus on his mental health since losing his father to brain cancer over two years ago. He was going through a series of panic attacks at the time.
In July, he publicly announced his decision to retire playing one-day cricket, citing the “unsustainable” stress of taking part in all three game types.”I never thought I’d have to take medicine to help me deal with that sort of stuff.
In a documentary for Amazon that will be accessible on Friday, Stokes said, “I needed the help at the time, so I’m not embarrassed or ashamed to acknowledge it.”
However, just because I’m back in the game doesn’t mean it’s over. Even though I go to the doctor less frequently, I still do, and I still take my medication every day. It is a never-ending process.
Stokes claimed that when he took the holiday, he felt enormous resentment toward cricket since he had not been able to visit his ailing father as regularly as he would have liked.
