Howie Mandel talked to Ellen about his new book, in which he opens up about his lifelong struggle with OCD and ADHD, and how he's used comedy to help live with it.
+Adam Ant Oh yeah I understand that Bobby was the character that Howie plays In the show Bobby's World. I was just being sarcastic to get people to remember that it was a great character. As far as being hit in the head in any kind way no I haven't. But I happened to be born with ADD and to have it all your life, growing up thinking you have the same opportunities as everybody else just the normal daily things that people do is an understatement. Growing up with ADD for me was to find a different way to achieve something that should of been simple and get to the same objective, just with a lot more work. (=
Filmmaking / Gamer For Life Yeah I get it. My sister has the same thing. She turned out pretty great though. Owns her own Hair salon and makes really good money.
Howie is a role model for bringing light to this terrible disorder. I have OCD, but not in the way Howie does. Mine is mostly mental and has to do with reocurring intrusive thoughts, mostly about relationships. OCD can affect people in so many different ways, and we really need to end the stigma that OCD is a "funny and cute" personality flaw.
I honestly felt really bad for him when everyone kept laughing as he was talking about his experience. I personally was diagnosed with Depression, Anxiety, and OCPD (not OCD, look it up, do your research) and I know how bad it can feel when you're seriously trying to explain your problems to people, who don't have these same problems, and they just make a joke out of it
The first time people only laughed when *he* laughed at his own extreme statement, which made him self-concious and was unfortunate... But yeah, the rest of them were pretty inconsiderate responses to what he had to say.
Same. But I think that because he is a comedian, the 'funny' just comes naturally, but he was trying to tell them that he was actually being serious, but he is just a funny person, so the audience probably was getting mixed signals.
Thank you for sharing your life Howie! It gives people like me HOPE! I have a son going through this and your life story helps me understand and empathize with him. Thank you!!!
i know the struggle... my son who is 25 has adhd and is a bit of a germ person.,... but for you to laugh about it is great its life... if you don't life... you cry that is my motto.. life is too short for no laughter..... keep smiling Howie
I have OCD traits...and am a germaphobe. School is hell for me...I can't go to bed without a shower...and whenever my friends are sick I avoid them for months. I sit on paper in school...I can't eat with my hands...I no longer use door knobs in school...my school things never come out of my backpack...my hands have to be clean to use my phone...I have to cover EVERY cut on my hands in public...can't wear shorts to school because of too much exposed skin...I am afraid. I am embarassed. I know I need help, but I don't like to talk to strangers about my issues. My list of problems goes on and on.
+Turtle AGs i feel for you and for all people who has OCD i was a germaphobe myself years ago. I used to clean every step i will walk on. Changed my clothes many times a day. Wash my hands after each thing i touched. Never swallow my saliva while i'm awake. There were many thoughts in my mind. Couldn't touch anything. Suddenly my life changed. One of people told me u have to ignore these ideas in ur mind and with time ur germaphobe will get less. I'm still a germaphobe person, but much less than i used to be because i was about to be crazy. Still can't handle some situations that happened suddenly, but i try to control my self as much as i can.
Suffering from ADHD myself, I struggle to focus and listen to anyone talking for an extended period of time. Funny enough, it's even harder for me to listen to someone else with ADHD. It gets on my nerves to hear someone talking fast and so I get why people find me obnoxious.
Alex Matthew Not necessarily. I just don't have the attention span or the patience to tolerate another person who acts how I think. It sucks, it really does because I try to be understanding of how much they're suffering and yet, I'm incredibly bothered by it. I've had it since I was very young.
I am Joshua, 25, from Ohio. I am an aspiring filmmaker (comedic films). I also am quite fluent in Spanish after two years of study. I would say that I’m mostly an introvert, but everyone else thinks I’m an extrovert. With the exception of a few things, I feel that I’m a good example. I try hard, each day, to improve myself. However, I've been in limbo the last 5 years. I have had severe OCD and it has negatively affected all areas of my life. I just recently discovered (last night) that my OCD has been termed "Just Right" OCD. My OCD did not just appear one day, rather it developed slowly. I can remember instances of OCD when I was 10, for example. However, it was never time-consuming or a problem until the last 5 years. Currently, I cannot quite function. From the moment I wake to the moment I fall asleep, OCD is constant. Obsessions Hand-washing, but not for fear of germs (I will explain in-depth later). Putting on and taking off clothes Touching things - "mostly" everything I touch is counted and needs to be touched in a particular way While placing items on a table, I will pick up the item and re-place it various times until I do it "perfectly" Ordering/Arranging/Symmetry - For example - While showering, I wash each side of the body exactly the same way, If I'm not 100% focused on what I'm doing, I will have to re-do the action, because I can't remember if I did it "correctly". Perfectionism - Writing this post, for example, is a trigger because I do not feel that I can express my situation sufficiently, however, I'm doing it! Anthropomorphism - I attribute human characteristics to inanimate objects. If I do not fold clothes correctly, I feel that they cannot breathe. While closing a bottle-cap, I can't squeeze the bottle, or I'll feel that the air has been separated from the other air (almost as if I'm separating a family). Sounds - Sometimes I'll read something, a text for example, and I will have to acknowledge each word, one at a time. Other times, I will have to read a sentence and pronounce each word perfectly (aloud and in my head) I dislike sunlight because it allows me to see the many defects that exist. I finally kicked the habit of wearing sunglasses in-doors, about 6 months ago. I don't know if it's obvious or not, but I wore the sunglasses to help reduce the probability that I would see dust, or things in the carpet, etc. If I do not give attention to the specks on the mirror, for example, I will not have an urge to remove them. This leads to procrastination, because I try to live stress-free and living stress-free means keeping my activity to a minimal, i.e., in bed with the lights out most of the day. Why do I do these things? I do not fear that something bad will happen if I do not. There really isn't logical reason as to why I do these things. After a lot of thought I have come to believe that I do these things because they are directly linked to my self-worth. For example, I have consciously acknowledged that before I do an obsession, it's like a part of me "bets" that I cannot do "the compulsive action" in a particular way. For example, before I put on a shirt, I have to "shake it out". It also has to make a distinct sound that feels complete as the shirt slaps the air. When I have successfully done this action, maybe in the process of the downward motion, the shirt touched my leg. Now, I will have it do it again, but without touching the leg. Then some other variable comes into play, and now I have to do A, B, C, D, E etc. I have always had a very high standard for myself. If I fail to do a compulsion "just right" I feel like I've failed, or that I'm a loser; I have no value. The anxiety is strong. I become irritated and the world feels unbalanced. I cannot focus on anything. The perpetuating thought in my mind is "Go and fix it real quick. Do it better!" Interesting note: My OCD is much stronger when I'm excited, or when my biology is excited. Before I eat, before sex, before I go to sleep etc. (yes, after the stress from the compulsions all day, I look forward to sleep). There are many things that do not typically bother me, but bother me if I'm in a state of excitement. In general, I am better than before and I have made many improvements, but as you guys know, when one obsession leaves, another one takes its place. I think that those of us with OCD are very conscious. I, for example, am very conscious all of the time. I'm conscious of how I'm walking, the words I use, my body language, the environment, the variation in pitches when people speak, the click of computer keys, everything. As someone who wants to have complete control over all of the variables, I think the key is learning to live with uncertainty. I think I need to feel the anxiety and accept it as a normal part of live, and simply be okay with the feeling. Conclusion The curing process starts when you can accept that living with the anxiety, the discomfort, is possible. The OCD serves as protection. Protection from what, I ask myself. I think it protects us from feeling the terrible anxiety we feel when we don’t do a compulsion, the anxiety that normal people feel, but cope with it better. What if it’s that I cannot cope with feeling anxiety and that my OCD serves as a mechanism to eliminate it? I think that to an extent I deny reality. I think I’ve been putting off “feeling” anxiety for so long that I don’t remember what it felt like before OCD. 1. Everything is fine, anxiety is low, and there aren’t any compulsions. 2. Something happens. A Trigger. I touch my hand on a trashcan, for example. 3. Anxiety rises. I feel great discomfort. I need to wash my hands. But, why? The two reasons I’ve landed upon are 1) because I cannot bear the feeling of anxiety. The OCD has slowly, and gradually allowed me to live with minimal anxiety (because the impulsions kill the anxiety), and 2) because my level of cleanliness (in this example) is directly linked to my self-worth. Maybe, for example, being told I’m not good enough, as a child, by people I looked up to have had an impact-the reason doesn’t really matter. The fact is, my OCD to be and feel clean helps consolidate my need to be of value. When I feel clean, I feel good for example. Somewhere along the line I made the connection that value equates to cleanliness, or order.
Dear Joshua, I loved what you said, because it seems like you've worked hard to try to figure out the reason for your concerns. I think that ideas are the culprit, and as you mentioned maybe the ideas or obsessions if you will, keep a person from something else. I think you are on to something about self worth. I have a sort of intuition that our world has issues with Self worth and issues with Love. The more materialistic we are the more we find material ways to make ourselves feel okay. I put a comment above addressed to all who have OCD, and please read it if you would. I care about you and tho' I don't know you, I feel you have many gifts to share with the world from your heart and imagination. God bless you Joshua. I will be knowing that you are the most precious beloved son of Love Himself, and God wants you free of this problem and able to use your talents and care for people in the most wonderful ways. P.S. I watched your 12 minute film that you had at the top of your channel page. I loved it. Great ending!
I have ocd,adhd,autism,and stress anxiety so I relate to him and am glad he's open about it , and makes people aware how hard it is to live with it because it is!
I totally understand and agree with his statements. I have severe OCD. I have contamination and checking problems. What Mandel says is 100% true. There's no joking at all here. If you lived in "a person's shoes," who had OCD, you might really understand what OCD is. So many people in the world, don't understand OCD. 🤨😐😑
They were only laughing because Howie is a comedian. You show love to a comedian by laughing. Besides, he always comes across like he is doing stand up when he is on stage. During the 20/20 interview you could tell when he was being serious.
People just think people with OCD are just weird. In OCD, the neurotransmitters in the brain are misfiring. Anxiety disorders start with trauma, which can change the normal brain. On MRI, you could see the difference.
Howie, I know this is an old taping but you are not messed up! I have suffered from OCD almost my whole life.. checking things.. you have brought attention to this matter and I thank you for that.. it make a lot of us feel we are not alone.. and ellen I am a big fan of yours.. thank you for sharing this on your show and being you.
I got to admire him for his approach with OCD. Even though his struggle is not joke, he is able to make it into one, not because he is making fun of himself, but because it helps to change is mind or keep his mind of things. I'm sitting here laughing with him just as much as anyone else and I think he would be fine with it. Now it may just be because he actually has OCD; I think it would be offensive if someone didn't have these problems and were joking like this. Howie is an inspiration to me because looking at him now he has changed his ways and has gotten a lot better, even though it will never disappear. I follow Howie's journey in hopes to make as much progress in my own OCD as he has with his.
Wow this was awesome!! Howie is so brave for sharing his story and it's such an inspiration to see someone with OCD like me having a successful life! Thanks howie! (:
I have a very similar problem to Howie myself, and I did want to say that he has a good point when he talks about being able to laugh at the sorrow & smile at it even if it's depressing. I think a good way to look at it is "If you do not laugh at life, then life will laugh at you" and I'd rather be the one doing the laughing to be honest, even if it's no laughing matter.
Helping people with OCD neutralize is the opposite of help. Don't give him a bubble, don't give him soap, take him to exposure therapy and answer every question they ask you with 'maybe'.
I love how strong he has been I do t have OCD but I do things similar to it like I have to shut the door twice and stuff but it's probably a habit But I understand the struggle ❤️
kinda dislike it when people think they have ocd when its just a hobby or something like trying to catch all the pokemon or collecting baseball cards. OCD is like really out of the norm. you feel a panic attack if you dont act on your compulsions.
Ellen you are the best. You are so cool and accepting! Howie is so cool and funny. I think it is great to have a good sense of humor about our quirks in life.
I actually have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder with mixed emotional features and major clinical depression. It's been there a long time and is very hard to deal with at times.
I saw Howie Mandel live in North Bay, Ontario, Canada at the Capitol Center and he was very crude but very funny....before the show, there was a reception with him backstage and I got to meet him, had my picture taken with him and got his autograph.
i am not an OCD ...I'v been..i will give you a true advice...(The only way to get rid of your fears is to face it) just go through a river & mud to the next side..the answer is in the other side
Howie obviously just wants some attention, he realized that people pay attention to him because he acts crazy and now he has to go through with it. Get him off tv and he'll be cured in no time. Yes I understand what OCD is and yes people have it, but this guy is just overdoing it to get laughs and so people can ask him stupid questions about his "condition".
1983Jacko You mentioned in a previous comment you recently moved to the U.S. - firstly, most of us have grown up with this comedian for years, and have seen him in his different forms. You did not. For the American public, we've seen the dramatic change. We've also known the type of comedian he's always been, you do not. Then, having lived outside the U.S. myself for many years, I can tell you, from personal experience, especially in Europe, Eastern Europe (and FORGET Asia), mental illness is an issue that's hidden in the shadows. It's not spoken about in families. Your cognitive therapy and awareness for the mentally handicapped are 13th Century. Even for the PHYSICALLY handicapped, there's little awareness or empathy. There are no public places with wheelchair ramps, for entry to buildings, restaurants, museums, subways, buses, on sidewalks, no automatic doors, and no handicapped bathrooms. Your callous tone is typical of non-Americans (and U.K.) absolutely uneducated to the plight of the handicapped. Moreover, it would not surprise me if someone, even in your own family suffered from one. The tragedy of it is that you are probably as blind to it as you are to this video - so much so that you felt it necessary to type a sarcastic remark in the comments with the belief you'd get an overwhelming thumbs up. Notice- you didn't. Perhaps comment in your own language, because only your countrymen and their ilk are as blind as you are.
Never knew I could be suffering from ocd till I watched this. I can't go out without checking if the door is locked a hundred times.I will check my gas cylinder up to 50 times after which I will tell my kids to check it and I will go back and check the cylinder again and the door again.
I am really sorry for your loss. I know what it is to lose a father. It is the most unbearable pain and unless you have gone through it, you just can't understand it. But your anger is misplaced I think. Howie lost his father and I don't really know why you are lashing out at Ellen but i didn't read down far enough. I hope you can find peace at some point and talk about your loss of your father. God Bless you.
I am "NYD" (Not Yet Diagnosed)... but have some characteristics of OCPD or OCD and others... I totally get the bowing thing - it's apparently done all the time in various Asian countries and India ? Like the "Namaste" bowing we do at beginning and end of yoga classes or tai chi etc? I could seriously get behind that as a sign of respect without dealing with someone's "germs" real or imagined. With cancer and having my immune system blown out, I really didn't want to touch people either...
+Michal J So do i. My grandpa was out working on the car air conditioner and then came inside and touched my doorknob. Now i am freaked out about going out into the kitchen or bathroom because i think motor oil or freon is out there. im locked in my room right now. Ive changed my clothes several times and took 3 showers yesterday and 1 earlier. Now im afraid of taking a shower because of earlier when my grandpa went in there right after working on the car without even washing his hands. Its not even the germs that im scared of. Its literally everything from bleach to laundry detergent. If i walk past a bleach bottle or motor oil bottle,i freak out without physically touching it. I feel like i brought the bleach in my room and that its getting all over my things. I freak out that it will somehow be on my hands and in turn get on my weed and i will smoke the bleach.This is how fucked up i am. I change socks and clothes so many times throughout the day. Im afraid to do anything. i Hardly ever leave my house. Im 19 and have never had a job. My grandpa and mom get mad that i freak out all the time. And think im just lazy.
Ryan C Right now im starving and cant bring myself to go to the kitchen. I always brush my teeth and i cant even bring myself to go brush them even though i want to. All because my grandpa was working on his car earlier. And this was just today's issue. Its like wtf
Making a joke out of being OCD is no joke. I have a son who has severe OCD This is debilitating and he cannot live a normal life as he is. I hope and pray for him to find his inner peace.
Respond to this video... altho we acknowledge that what we are obsessing about it seemingly impossible or out of this world, we cannot control our urges.... so yeah you were correct on one part.. that germs doe snot really cause sickness but we ocd people , even if you tell that to us a million times... our urges will ot go away just by u saying that
I agree. There are too many people who think it is cool to have ADHD and OCD. I was watching a video were some guy said he "thinks" he has them, so all the girls in the comments said "omg we are so i alike i think i have it to" and when I commented informing them that they don't and that it is seriouse condition, they yelled back at me saying im just being a smart ass, and that i need to calm down. but in reality they don't understand how hard it is, and the stigma we have to face.
I have ADHD and I struggle w/ clinical depression. I hate when people say they have something like OCD just b/c they don't like dirty things. I wish people would stop using terms they don't understand.
*I am about 99+% sure, if Howie met with me for about two hours, and he agreed to do what I suggested, he would be completely free of OCD, ADHD, etc, within two hours! I would charge him nothing!*
I also have OCD , mine is cleaning , its not clean unless everything is moved and once it is clean everything has its place , I can tell if its been move just a smig then I have to get up and move it back , I have even moved rooms around . I am not a germ- a- phobe (?) but I have to clean and a lot of my friends will ask me to do something and ill say I cant I am cleaning the house , they want to know what I'm cleaning . My husband and daughter make fun of me but its ok because I laugh at myself too.. But I can not go to places that are dirty or dirty to me . One time my daughter took me too a restaurant where they throw peanut shells on the floor I freaked out, all I wanted was a broom . I still have a hard time going into that restaurant .I hate going to ER's because even though I am hurting all I want them to do is give me a broom and mop and some bleach . I can find a little spot of blood on the wall and as far as I am concerned ( IT IS NOT CLEAN ) . there are a lot of us OCD people out there , and we all have different levels of OCD.
i am not an OCD ...but i will give you a true advice...(The only way to get rid of your fears is to meet them) just go through the a river & a mud to the next side...maybe the answer is in the other side
Well, what if a person's obsession is harming others or themselves. What do you do then? Unless you know what it's like or you are well educated in this, please do not assume anything.
I agree and thank you for saying that; i thought no one else was picking up on this! I love Ellen too but she is enabling him and it does seem a little thoughtless and exploitative even if she means well.
can't blame people for laughing,Howie is essentially a stand up comic and known for it,the same thing happened after "Kramer" lost his shit at the mic and Seinfeld came on Letterman with Richards on the phone,people thought it was a bit and laughed.
Howie, the only way to cure your mesosphonia is to face your fears. Do things that you wouldnt normally do like touch a doornob without wiping it, The more times you do these things, the faster your problems will go away.
Man, he really seems like a crazy person. I don't think it's a huge deal how he doesn't want to touch things with his hands, but seeing him being interviewed, he comes off pretty crazy. He talks about how he has mental health issues, talks to a therapist, performs weird rituals... His whole demeanor is that of someone who needs help.
Aren't OCD and ADHD kind of on opposite ends. Doesn't OCD mean you spend alot of time thinking about one thing to the point you have to do it or it causes you great anxiety?
Xpertman213 They don't really have to be. I have bad ADHD, and a little "security" OCD where I am constantly worried that something is left unlocked, or something is being stolen. I save my video games frequently and numerously, and funny enough I tend to resave because my ADHD makes me forget if I did save. I guess they are somewhat opposite ends, but it's very possible for someone to have both. This comment had very little relevance to your sentence I think...
PhStateOfMind hahaha the security thing is a real type, I did a bit of research on it. I guess you could say I... checked it. It's more of a checking disorder too.
Can someone help me? I'm trying to find an episode he was on (I don't remember how many times he's been on Ellen) where he brought out a mouth harp or some kind of small mouth instrument and he drops it on the floor and still puts it in his mouth and then explains to Ellen about his OCD...
I was really enjoying and relating to this video.. i literally WOKE up from a nap 7 months ago with OBESESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER.. but then she totally made a joke about his life with that stupid glove thing.. i mean ppl just dont understand.. its ok to joke but i hatee when people sit there laughing and joking for too long :( nobody understands what it feels like
