Howie Mandel reveals he ‘almost died’ amid mental health struggles

Comedian Howie Mandel got candid about overcoming his mental health struggles, and revealed that he “almost died” during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the bevy of substances he was taking to self-medicate.

The 70-year-old shared on Hoda Kotb’s Joy 101 podcast on Monday that the pandemic made his severe anxiety and OCD entirely unmanageable, and he turned to taking THC gummies, smoking and drinking alcohol to cope.

Surviving the pandemic

“I’m sober right now, but during the pandemic I couldn’t sleep because part of my [OCD] rumination is – I make fun of it – but I’m a germaphobe, and a pandemic? I live like I’m in a pandemic anyhow,” he explained on the podcast.

“And when there’s a real one, it was hard for me to handle. It was hard for a lot of people, but I wasn’t strong enough to handle it. I couldn’t sleep, so I started taking gummies to go to sleep.” Howie said that he was “just trying to escape and make myself unconscious” with the gummies, but realized that it had taken a dark turn after his wife, Terry Mandel, had to intervene.  

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“There were times when my wife, she couldn’t wake me up, or she thought she was going to take me to the hospital,” he admitted. “There’s no middle ground with me. I don’t smoke, or I haven’t had a beer, or anything. I can’t do anything in moderation. It wasn’t healthy, and it wasn’t good. It’s not an excuse, but it was really bad.”

Finally, Terry gave her husband an ultimatum, which led him to seek treatment. “She’s a hero because she put up with it and sent me to therapy,” Howie declared.

The road to recovery

Six years later, Howie is taking medication to manage his mental health issues. “My life consists of trying to balance up here and manage the medication… and I’m talking about prescription medication,” he said. “I’m surrounded by professionals.”

Keeping busy is also key to Howie’s recovery, as it stops him from ruminating and focusing on dark thoughts. Howie shares his kids Jackelyn, 39, Alex, 33, and Riley, 31, with Terry, whom he’s been married to since 1980.

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The America’s Got Talent judge shared insight into the incredible support his wife has provided him over the years, particularly amid his OCD battle. 

“The secret for me is my wife,” he told Streets of Toronto in 2023. “People have seen me on television or in concert and think I’m fun, and I probably am for a couple of hours, but living with me is not easy.”

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“I have a hard time living with me, and I’m seeing professionals to learn to cope with myself, and I take medication, so the fact that she has put up with me for 43 years is amazing,” Howie shared. 

“If there are any awards to be given out, please give them to my wife. She deserves it. I appreciate her and feel like the luckiest guy in the world.”