Scott Morrison has revealed he suffered from acute anxiety during his time as prime minister and needed medication to treat it.

In an interview with The Australian published Friday, Morrison said he would have fallen into a serious depression without medication, describing that his anxiety at the time as “debilitating and agonising”.

The former Liberal leader said his anxiety condition built up as he faced increased pressure during his prime ministership.

“I couldn’t put my finger on a particular time. It was a very stressful period and the combination of the weight of issues, the length of hours that we were working, the physical demands that brought and to be honest, the stuff around China was as, if not more, distressing than the pandemic,” he was quoted as saying.

“You’re flesh and blood and so it would start to impact you.”

Morrison said he initially tried swimming and cooking to alleviate his anxiety, but eventually realised he needed medical help.

Speaking on the ABC radio, Deputy Chief Health Office of Mental Health Dr Ruth Vine said publicly recognising people’s experiences can help de-stigmatise mental illness.

“I do hope Mr Morrison had a successful outcome to his experience, but I think we need to continue to work on lessening the stigma and discrimination against those with very significant illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder,” Vine said.

Morrison’s interview comes ahead of the release of his new book, Plans for Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness, which also addresses his battle with anxiety.