Howie Mandel Talks About Living With OCD | 20/20 | ABC News
4,657,362
Published 2009-11-28
SUBSCRIBE for the latest news and updates from ABC News ► youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=abcnews
To read the full story and others, visit www.abcnews.com/
Watch more news stories from ABC News!
More health serments from ABC News ► • Ebola Outbreak in Uganda: CDC Rushes ...
More from 20/20 ► • Fatigued Truckers: Deadly Consequences
People know Howie Mandel as a comedian, actor and game show host. But what many fans don't know is how much he suffers from a crippling fear of germs -- something he has joked about before, but never spoken seriously about until now.
The 54-year-old "Deal Or No Deal" host suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder or OCD -- a debilitating anxiety disorder that produces inescapable repetitive thoughts.
To read the full story and others, visit www.abcnews.com/
Follow ABC News across the web!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/abcnews
Twitter: twitter.com/ABC
Instagram: instagram.com/ABCNews/
The state of healthcare is a topic of heavy political debate as new pandemics arise each year, the nation's obesity levels increase, and the need for a cure to many diseases escalate. ABC News has the coverage you need to stay informed on the controversy and background around President Obama’s healthcare law, healthcare reform, how to maintain a healthy diet, and disease research. The importance of health issues, including mens health and womens health, is highlighted on ABC News. Stay up to date on news around eating disorders, rare diseases, panic attacks, fast food GMOs, and much more.
20/20
20/20 , with the help of Elizabeth Vargas and David Muir, combines hard hitting investigative reports, compelling human interest pieces, and newsmaker interviews. A staple of primetime television on Friday nights for over 3 decades, 20/20 has remained a leader in American TV news magazines broadcasting on ABC. The in-depth story packages can be seen Friday nights at 10|9c.
ABC News
Make ABC News your daily news outlet for breaking national and world news, broadcast video coverage, and exclusive interviews that will help you stay up to date on the events shaping our world. ABC News’ show roster has both leaders in daily evening and morning programming. Kick start your weekday mornings with news updates from Good Morning America (GMA) and Sundays with This Week with George Stephanopoulos. Get your evening fix with 20/20, Nightline, and ABC World News Tonight. Head to abc.go.com for programming schedule and more information on ABC News.
All Comments (21)
-
Unless you HAVE suffered from OCD, you will NEVER ever understand what it's like.
-
No one is judging you Howie... You are not alone...
-
One of my best friends has OCD. He used to have to wear rubber gloves everywhere. It was embarrassing for him in high school. One day he left to go to an intensive treatment facility for almost a year. When he came back, he actually shook my hand without a glove and I almost cried because it was such a big step for him. He still has a lot of his issues and phobias, but he's gotten so much better over the years and is so inspiring.
-
I am in utter shock and I deeply apologize to all those afflicted with OCD for having to deal with all the misunderstanding you go through every single day and the way it makes you feel.
-
Gotta admit. He’s the cleanest looking person I’ve ever seen.
-
I hate people who say they have "OCD" because they're always organized and stuff. I believe the phrase they were looking for was "a perfectionist" not OCD.
-
I got diagnosed with OCD 18 years ago as a teenage. Spent my whole life fighting OCD. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Not until my son recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 8 years totally clean. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms.
-
I have OCD, and for people who don't have it, I describe it as an urge to do something and if I don't do it I start having anxiety.
-
See? Don't self diagnose yourselves with OCD because you like organization. You're not "SOOO OCD"
-
My son has OCD. It is debilitating and heartbreaking. My son reached out to Howie several years ago and asked him how he was able to get through it, and Howie answered him: "One day at a time." That little nugget of insight helped my son maintain and continue to move forward. I will always hold Howie close to my heart because of that. Sometimes that is all that we need to keep going.
-
Can’t imagine how he is now with the corona virus out there
-
I can relate. I don't remember a time when I've been generally happy. Not even as a child, and I'm in midlife now.
-
It's a terrible condition to live with. It can affect you on all kinds of ways. It doesn't have to be washing hands and not touching doors etc.. Ruins your life
-
Opening up publicly about OCD is humiliating. He’s honestly such a brave individual.
-
The hardest part of OCD for me at least, is the rumination.
-
i have OCD and it's so annoying that people joke about it and say "i hAvE oCd" like i'm sorry were you diagnosed by a professional doctor? no. so stop saying that you have OCD when you don't.
-
😢 OCD IS HORRIFIC,ESPECIALLY THE INNAPROPIATE/INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS/ACTIONS IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT CLEANING! THERE'S EXTREME ANXIETY/PANIC ATTACKS,DEPRESSION,SUICIDAL THINKING OR ACTIONS,TOO MUCH!!!!
-
How sad that he feels shame and embarrassment, when so many people love and adore him and can accept him just as he is.
-
I have generalized high anxiety and OCD. I feel you, Howie. It's hard.
-
I've always felt an authenticity coming from Howie Mandel. He is comfortable with himself, even when it isn't comfortable. A very dignified human.
