When it comes to Howie Mandel, the first thing that comes to mind is positivism and laughter.
According to IMDb, he started his career in showbiz by pure chance. A producer noticed him during an amateur night at the Comedy Store on the L.A. Sunset Strip during a vacation after his friends convinced him to try it out.
Today, Mandel is one of the most famous names in the world of entertainment. A TV celebrity, screenwriter, actor, producer, director, entrepreneur, and popular game show panelist/host, you name it, Mandel has tried it all and proved that he’s great in all of it.
Recently, however, he decided to open up about his mental state and confessed he’s been battling anxiety, ADHD, and OCD most of his life. The truth is that no one can really assume that someone as fun as Mandel could be going through such a thing.
“I’m living in a nightmare,” he declared. ” I work to ground myself. I love what I do and have a lovely family. However, I can also experience severe sadness from which I can never recover.”
This turned even worse during the COVID-19 pandemic when we were forced into lockdown. Mandel revealed to People magazine that there was no day the thought “we would die” didn’t cross his mind. But the fact that no one from his closest surrounding was affected gave him comfort.
Although he was diagnosed in his thirties, Mandal knows he had OCD and ADHD since forever. He, however, didn’t speak of his mental state openly because he believed it would affect his career. “My first reaction was that I’ve embarrassed my family,” he admitted. “Then I realized that nobody would hire someone who wasn’t stable. Those were my concerns.”
The compulsions and obsessions are very distressing and interfere with day-to-day tasks. “I’m in a bad dream,” the Canadian-born comedian declared. “I attempt to ground myself. Mandel remarks, “I have a great family, including my wife Terry and their three children, Riley, Jackie, and Alex. I adore what I do. However, I can sometimes have periods of deep depression from which I cannot recover.”
In a conversation on her talk show in 2022, he shared his mental health concerns with Kelly Clarkson.
I have OCD and am neurotic. People believe that because I’m out and about, I’m having fun and enjoying myself. I’m terrified,” He told the host. “I like to go home and just live in the foetal position.”
Clarkson responded, “It’s so funny to me, because every time I’m around you, even seeing you out of work… you’re so the opposite of what I would think.”
Mandel chuckled, “I know, I’m such a joy, I’m a light, I’m an energy, and I’m stunning. To be really honest, I take a lot of medication.
It was comedy that helped him during the toughest times in his life.
“My coping mechanism is finding the humorous,” he declared. “If I’m not smiling, I’m probably sobbing. And I’ve still held back on how horrible and dark it actually gets. In a way, comedy saved me. I feel very much at ease on stage. And when I have nothing to do, I retreat, which is not healthy.”
Mandel’s goal is to help raise awareness about mental illness and break the stigma.
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