When it comes to Howie Mandel, the first thing that comes to mind is positivism and laughter.
According to IMDb, he started his career in showbiz by pure chance. A producer noticed him during an amateur night at the Comedy Store on the L.A. Sunset Strip during a vacation after his friends convinced him to try it out.
Today, Mandel is one of the most famous names in the world of entertainment. A TV celebrity, screenwriter, actor, producer, director, entrepreneur, and popular game show panelist/host, you name it, Mandel has tried it all and proved that he’s great in all of it.
Recently, however, he decided to open up about his mental state and confessed he’s been battling anxiety, ADHD, and OCD most of his life. The truth is that no one can really assume that someone as fun as Mandel could be going through such a thing.
“I’m living in a nightmare,” he declared. ” I work to ground myself. I love what I do and have a lovely family. However, I can also experience severe sadness from which I can never recover.”
This turned even worse during the COVID-19 pandemic when we were forced into lockdown. Mandel revealed to People magazine that there was no day the thought “we would die” didn’t cross his mind. But the fact that no one from his closest surrounding was affected gave him comfort.
Although he was diagnosed in his thirties, Mandal knows he had OCD and ADHD since forever. He, however, didn’t speak of his mental state openly because he believed it would affect 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.”
It was comedy that helped him during the toughest times in his life.
“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.
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For Two Years, I Hid from My Parents That I Have a Son – Yesterday, They Accidentally Found Out
My parents weren’t a part of my life for several years, and when they came back into it, they left me shaken! They unraveled a truth I didn’t know I needed to learn, and while it caused more of a rift, it ultimately brought all those involved closer.
Sometimes life throws blows that we don’t understand, and that’s the case in my story. One day, some people quite dear to me reentered my life with the most difficult news. What they told me altered my relationship with them and my young son forever. Read on to find out more.
It was a Saturday afternoon, the kind that begged for relaxation. I was home with my two-year-old son, Ethan, enjoying the rare quiet moments when the doorbell rang. My heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t expecting anyone.
As I opened the door, my parents stood there, their expressions a mix of surprise and confusion. For two years, we didn’t see each other at all. We talked occasionally, but those conversations were very tense.
“Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?” I asked, trying to mask my anxiety as my parents made an unannounced visit.
“We were in the neighborhood and thought we’d drop by,” my mom said, her eyes widening as she noticed Ethan in my arms.
You should’ve seen my dad’s face when he saw me holding my son. He turned a shade of pale I’d never seen before. “Who’s this?” my mother demanded, pointing at Ethan.
“This is my son and your grandchild, Ethan,” I replied, my voice trembling.
The first thing my father said, his voice rising, was, “This is not your child! I see it right away!” His words hit me like a truck. I was stunned.
“Of course he is! What are you talking about?” I shot back, feeling a wave of defensiveness wash over me.
“We need to sit down and talk,” my mom interjected, her voice calmer but equally firm. We moved to the kitchen, Ethan clinging to my side. Sitting around the kitchen table, the air was thick with tension.
I took a deep breath and began, “I was 19 when I found out Kate was pregnant.” I continued, “It would’ve been fine, but you both made it clear how much you were totally against her.”
“I knew you’d never accept our relationship, and I loved her very much, so I didn’t tell you about the pregnancy.”
“What?” my father muttered under his breath.
“I went against your wishes and stayed with Kate. That’s why over the years I’ve drifted away from you.” Sighing, I explained, “I became a single father at age 19.”
“You should have told us,” my dad said, frustration etched into his features. “We could have helped.”
Years later, when Ethan was old enough to understand, I told him the truth. It was a difficult conversation, but it brought us even closer. He knew that despite everything, I had chosen to be his father, and that choice was rooted in love.
My relationship with my parents remained strained for a while, but they eventually came to accept my decision. They saw the bond between Ethan and me and realized that family is defined by love. Plus, they weren’t willing to lose me and their grandchild for another few years.
Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. The journey was tough, but it taught me the true meaning of parenthood. Ethan and I faced many challenges, but we faced them together. And in the end, that’s all that mattered.
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