Howie Mandel has long been open about the health woes he’s dealt with over the years — when it comes to both physical ailments and mental health struggles.
The America’s Got Talent judge, who battles depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), is a strong advocate for ending the stigma surrounding mental illness.
“We take care of our dental health,” he told Jay Leno in 2014. “We don’t take care of our mental health.”
He claimed that so much of the taboo surrounding mental health issues was due to the lack of education in American society surrounding these problems.
“We are so behind in the world as to not have something in place that just teaches everyone how to cope,” the former Deal or No Deal host added. “I think the solution to making this world better is if we would just be healthy, mentally.”
Mandel has particularly focused on sharing his experience with OCD, which is characterized by intrusive thoughts, followed by “compulsions” to temporarily rid or soothe themselves of the thoughts, per Mayo Clinic. (If one’s OCD focuses on contamination or germs, as in the Bobby’s World creator’s case, they may obsessively wash their hands countless times until raw.) For Mandel, he copes with his OCD by shaving his head and greeting people with his now-iconic fist-bump.
“In my mind, this is a Petri dish,” the “Howie Mandel Does Stuff” podcast host told 20/20 in 2009, showing his hand, palm up, to the camera. “Otherwise, I would have spent days, as I have in the past, in the men’s room, rubbing and scrubbing and scalding.”
Though it’s been difficult for him at times to be so open about his OCD, Mandel wrote a book about his struggles, titled Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me, which was released in 2009. He peppered the autobiography with his trademark humor while discussing his lifelong battle with mental health.
In addition to the psychological obstacles the comedian has coped with and continues to, he has also had his fair share of physical problems as well.
In October 2021, Mandel made headlines when he was rushed to the hospital after fainting at Starbucks.
“I am home and doing better. I was dehydrated and had low blood sugar,” he wrote via Twitter at the time. “I appreciate the great doctors and nurses that took such good care of me. Thank you to everyone who reached out but I am doing OK!”
Keep reading to find out more about Mandel’s health issues over the years:
Howie detailed his battle with COVID-19 on a May 2022 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, claiming he got the virus from attending the 2022 Kids’ Choice Awards in April. Both the illness and the quarantine period only exacerbated his mental health issues, he told TMZ Live in April, saying the “mental pain” of “being locked in a room for 10 days” caused him to go “insane.” He added: "I still feel like I'm recovering from that, the insanity. And I'm not joking. I got incredibly depressed, incredibly neurotic.” Richard Drew/AP/Shutterstock
In October 2021, Mandel fainted outside of an L.A.-area Starbucks and fell to the ground, TMZ reported at the time. Us Weekly confirmed with the fire department that a man had been suffering “chest pain” at the time. The TV personality was with his wife, Terry Mandel, when the scary incident occurred and was quickly rushed to the hospital. The following day, Howie took to Twitter to assure fans he was home and was OK. The fainting spell was caused by being “dehydrated and … low blood sugar,” he tweeted. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
The St. Elsewhere alum has long used his platform as a TV personality to reveal his personal battle with OCD as well as try to end the stigma around the mental disorder. In addition to his 2009 autobiography about his struggles, Howie has detailed the specifics about his personal “brand” of OCD, which involves an intense fear of germs. That same year, he told 20/20 that his trademark fist bump comes from feeling like shaking someone’s hand is the equivalent to sticking his hand in a “Petri dish.” He also shaves his head due to the fact that it “feels so streamlining, so clean … it just feels cleaner.” AFF-USA/Shutterstock
Howie, who shares children Alex, Jackie and Riley with wife Terry, revealed to ADDitude that his ADHD has affected everyone in his family. “My wife and children have been through therapy because of the problems my disorders have caused,” he revealed in March 2022. “For me, there is no cure. I will always have to manage symptoms and develop coping skills,” he added. “I take medication and I do psychotherapy.” Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
The Gremlins voice actor told People in June 2021 that he is “living in a nightmare” when it comes to his OCD — which can trigger depression. "I try to anchor myself,” he explained. “I have a beautiful family and I love what I do. But at the same time, I can fall into a dark depression I can't get out of.” Howie noted that his “coping skill is finding the funny.” “If I'm not laughing, then I'm crying,” he shared. “And I still haven't been that open about how dark and ugly it really gets." AFF-USA/Shutterstock
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