"A huge buildup of multiple things over time" - Ben Stokes on his mental health condition
England all-rounder Ben Stokes has opened up on his mental health issues he dealt with during the summer of 2021, leading to a six-month break from the game. He described the situation as a 'huge buildup of multiple things' that eventually burst.
The England Test captain is understood to have suffered a panic attack after The Hundred game against Trent Rockets last year. As a result, Stokes took an indefinite break from cricket to attend to his mental health. The ECB lauded him for showing courage to speak up about his well-being.
BREAKING: England's star all-rounder Ben Stokes has taken an indefinite break from all cricket with immediate effect. https://t.co/lcQSAMYUGt
Speaking to The Guardian, the Durham all-rounder recalled the circumstances and said that he didn't know what happened and struggled to describe it. However, Stokes admitted it was a long time coming as the 'glass bottle' eventually smashed.
"I didn’t know what was happening," said the 31-year-old. "The best way to explain it is, not a two-week thing but a huge buildup of multiple things over time. It’s like you’re a glass bottle, you keep putting things in there, and eventually over time, there’s no more room, and it smashes. That’s what happened in Nottingham – the bottle smashed. But it’s hard to remember what happened, I can’t really explain it."
The mental health break meant Stokes missed the Test series against India on home soil and the T20 World Cup in the UAE. The talismanic all-rounder returned for the Ashes series in Australia in December but struggled to contribute significantly with either bat or ball as the tourists lost 4-0.
"It was a case of completely stepping away from sport" - Ben Stokes
The seam-bowling all-rounder also said that seeking help from a professional was important, adding that speaking freely to them and his subquent recovery was an ongoing process. He added:
"It was a case of completely stepping away from sport. And speaking to a clinical psychologist, someone who could understand what I was feeling and tell me what my brain is doing, why it’s happening. I still speak to the doc, not as regularly, and I'm still taking medication every day. It's an ongoing process."
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The New Zealand-born player is in charge of the Test team, registering four consecutive wins. He suffered his first loss since becoming full-time captain last week against South Africa.