Howie Mandel Opens up About His OCD: ‘When You’re Drowning, You Need To Say Help!’
The AGT judge discusses his triggers and how he manages the condition
America’s Got Talent judge Howie Mandel is known for his stand-up, voice acting and TV-hosting gigs. But he’s also made a name for himself in the mental health field, thanks to his advocacy and openness about living with OCD. In a TODAY.com interview, Howie Mandel shared his story of getting diagnosed with OCD, living with the condition and why he wants to spread awareness.
Howie Mandel’s OCD affected his family too
Even before Mandel was formally diagnosed with OCD, his symptoms had been impacting his family. “I’d have my children and my wife [Terry] spray everything down and not touch things,” Mandel told TODAY.com. “I wouldn’t take things that they were handed. I would remove some of their toys that I saw touch the ground. I was making their life miserable.”
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At first, Mandel said he was resistant to getting help. “I wouldn’t go see a therapist. I wouldn’t go see a psychiatrist. I would not talk about the word ‘mental health’ at all,” he said.
Terry Mandel eventually hit a breaking point with how her husband’s compulsions were affecting her and their kids. When she shared her feelings, it convinced him to seek mental health care.
“My wife just gave me an ultimatum,” Mandel said. “She goes, ‘I can’t do this anymore and I can’t have the children do it anymore. And if you don’t get help, that’s it.’ So it was an ultimatum that made me ultimately go to therapy, and I got diagnosed (with OCD).”
He continued, “The hardest thing is having OCD. The second hardest thing is being with somebody who has OCD if they legitimately have OCD and they’re not just persnickety. And it was always tough on our relationship.”
It was hard for him to admit something was wrong
Mandel, who was diagnosed in his 40s, told TODAY.com that although the diagnosis provided a level of “comfort,” he felt self-conscious about living with mental illness. “I was embarrassed that I had this problem, and when you have a mental health problem, there is a stigma,” Mandel said in the interview.
He also shared that while he received the correct diagnosis, that’s not always the case for others living with OCD, since not every mental health professional has a strong grasp of the condition. “Even if you go to a therapist or psychiatrist, they may not be an (OCD) expert specifically,” said Mandel.
What is OCD?
“OCD stands for obsessive-compulsive disorder, a psychological disorder that involves obsessions and compulsions,” says Hannah Holmes, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, Professor and Founder of Holmes Psychology & Consulting. “Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts or images that cause anxiety. These obsessions can be about many different things, but common themes are contagion, symmetry, harm to self or others, sexual taboos and morality or religion.”
“I know how painful it is. I don’t want people to go through what I go through.” —Howie Mandel
“Compulsions are things a person does or thinks about that relieve the anxiety that the obsessions cause,” she explains. “For example, a person with obsessive fears about catching a contagious illness might wash their hands in a certain way, for a certain length of time, many times a day.”
When OCD is mentioned in casual conversation, often by people who do not have the condition, it’s thought of as being nervous about germs or being particular about routines. But the condition is much more serious than that.
“Pop culture often portrays OCD as a preference for neatness, order and being perfectionistic and organized,” says Melissa Jermann, PhD, is a clinical psychologist specializing in OCD and founder of Mindful Psychological Services PLLC. “OCD is not about wanting things “clean,” it is a debilitating mental health condition.”
How Howie Mandel lives with OCD
In Mandel’s interview with TODAY.com, he shared that he experiences “intrusive thoughts” due to his OCD, which made a particular time in his life especially hard to handle. “The inability to control your brain with these obsessive thoughts and the compulsion to fight them is far more prevalent in somebody with OCD,” Mandel said. “(Other) people have weird thoughts that go through their head and then it goes away.”
Even today, Mandel avoids certain behaviors to prevent triggering his OCD. “I still don’t shake hands because of my fear of a trigger,” Mandel said, instead preferring a fist bump. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, I know that I could shake your hand and nothing is going to happen. I just don’t want to be triggered, so that’s why I don’t shake hands.”
If Mandel does find himself triggered, he now knows what to do. “I’m always ready, and if something does happen, I have some tools and professionals around me and family members and friends that are incredibly supportive that’ll get me through it,” Mandel told TODAY.com.
Howie Mandel’s OCD advocacy
Today, Mandel is a partner with NOCD, a platform that provides OCD treatment and support. In the interview, he shared his goal of getting more people talking about the condition he knows firsthand.
“They say that misery loves company,” Mandel said. “I don’t know that I’m thrilled that one out of 40 people have OCD, but it makes my mission even more prevalent. I know how painful it is. I don’t want people to go through what I go through, and a lot of people go…through worse.”
What do if you think you may have OCD
If you’re reading this and recognizing signs of OCD, take a moment to think about how intrusive thoughts show up in your life and consider seeking support as Mandel ultimately did. “When one is suffering, when one is drowning, you need to say ‘Help!’ Otherwise, you just quietly drown,” Mandel said in the interview.
“It’s essential for readers to be aware of intrusions that become ‘stuck’ in their minds,” says Dr. Jermann. “This stuckness feels like endless loops trying to solve, analyze or figure out the intrusion (i.e., mental compulsions) while feeling high emotional distress, including anxiety, shame or guilt. No amount of logic or reassurance can get you out of the obsessive loop.”
“Compulsions can also be physical, including hand washing, avoidance, ordering, checking (e.g., stoves, outlets) or other behavioral rituals,” Dr. Jermann continues. “If you believe you may be experiencing symptoms of OCD, it’s imperative to be assessed by a trained OCD psychologist or therapist to get effective, evidence-based treatment.”
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