Howie Mandel admits to being ‘incredibly medicated,’ describes his mental health struggles as ‘absolute hell’

When you think of Howie Mandel, positivity and laughter are what come to mind.According to IMDb, his showbiz career started by sheer chance. During a vacation, a producer spotted him at the Comedy Store on L.A.’s Sunset Strip during an amateur night, after his friends encouraged him to give it a try.Today, Mandel is a prominent name in entertainment. As a TV celebrity, screenwriter, actor, producer, director, entrepreneur, and popular game show host and panelist, he has worn many hats and excelled in each role.

Recently, however, Mandel opened up about his mental health, revealing he has been battling anxiety, ADHD, and OCD most of his life. It’s hard to imagine that someone as fun as Mandel could face such struggles.

“I’m living in a nightmare,” he confessed. “I work to ground myself. I love what I do and have a wonderful family. However, I can also experience severe sadness from which I can never recover.”

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these feelings during lockdown. Mandel told People magazine that he constantly feared for his life. However, knowing that none of his closest loved ones were affected gave him some comfort.

Diagnosed in his thirties, Mandel realized he had OCD and ADHD for much longer. He initially kept his mental health issues private, fearing it would damage 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 distressing and interfere with daily tasks. “I’m in a bad dream,” he declared. “I attempt to ground myself. I have a great family, including my wife Terry and our three children, Riley, Jackie, and Alex. I love what I do. However, sometimes I experience deep depression from which I cannot recover.”

In a 2022 conversation on her talk show, Mandel 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 fetal 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.”

Comedy has been his coping mechanism during the toughest times. “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.