England Test skipper Ben Stokes reveals he needs anxiety drugs to deal with father's death

England's Test captain Ben Stokes has revealed he needs anxiety drugs to deal with his mental health issues after his father's death. Stokes' father passed away due to terminal cancer in December 2020 and the cricketer has sincestruggled to cope with the personal loss.

Stokes has been quite vocal about his mental health issues in the past and had also opted for a break from cricket last year to focus on his mental health. The England all-rounder revealed he suffered a series of panic attacks following his father's demise and had to take medication to deal with his anxiety.

"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, set to release on Friday (August 26).

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"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.

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Stokes also opened up on his break from cricket last year. The England all-rounder had announced he will be taking an indefinite break from all forms of cricket to 'prioritise mental health'. He returned to action during the Ashes 2021-22 against Australia Down under and was recently promoted as England's Test captain after Joe Root stepped down from his post.

Stokes said he had opted for the break as he was angry on the game which had started dictating when he can see his ailing father."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," Stokes told TheTelegraph.

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The England Test skipper debunked the notion that talking about mental health issues can make people look weak and said he would like to tell the world as much as he can about his struggles.

"I find sometimes people are a bit nervous to go into details 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," said Stokes.

"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 added.