OCD Profile: Howie Mandel

Of all the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) profiles, the “germophobe” is the one we probably think of the most often. This person’s greatest fear is that things are unclean, contaminated or may cause illness. While we all may wonder how someone gets to this extreme, we have to admit that there are certain situations where being a germophobe has its advantages. Take, for example, this tuberculosis poster I found while browsing the Library of Congress pictures database.

Before advances in modern medicine when child and infant death rates were high, the best preventative medicine a mom had was germophobia. In some cases it probably was a matter of life and death. We sometimes still see these situations today. For example, the recent anthrax scare in the mail system, some flu strains, and terrible but rare diseases like ebola virus.

For the OCD individual, though, germophobe is a mild description of how concerns about germs actually affect the person. Not only does the person have a fear of germs but that fear is not alleviated even when measures are taken to sterilize everything. Washing hands for hours or taking shower upon shower are common reactions to germ contact in an OCD individual.

Howie Mandel may be the biggest celebrity to publicly acknowledge he struggles with OCD.  In his memoir, Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me, he provides a very humorous and engaging autobiography, which, in part, addresses how OCD has affected him throughout the years.

Mr. Mandel is part of the 1/3 of adults with OCD who had diagnosable symptoms as a child.  Yet, it does not appear that Mr. Mandel ever saw a mental health counselor until he was a young adult.  Why not sooner?  As he describes his childhood, it may be that since a number of adults in his family had cleaning compulsions, no one saw anything wrong with his behavior.  It also could be that his symptoms were relatively mild and the family just saw them as quirky and manageable.

“If somebody sniffled and touched my crib, my mother would mark the spot in her mind.  She would remember that it was two inches to the left of the headboard, and again, as soon as that person left the room, she would hit that spot with the Lysol, putting me back in my sterile environment.

You might think this was over the top, but the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.  The first and all recollections I have of visiting my grandparents on my mother’s side were of approaching the house and seeing my “bubbie” outside the front door on her hands and knees, waxing the concrete veranda.  . . . There was no way she was going to allow anyone to track filth into her home. . . . I don’t think I ever touched any of the furniture or carpets in her house because it was all covered with plastic. . . .

By first grade, I had other issues. . . When my [shoe]laces touched the ground, I could not bring myself to touch them. . . . My young brother, Stevie, had a sense of the things that horrified me.  . . . [I]f I was chasing him, his last bastion of defense was running to the laundry hamper, removing the lid and waving it in my direction. . . I don’t know what I thought would happen if it touched me, but I was horrified and the fight would come to an end.”

–Howie Mandel, Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me

As Mr. Mandel grew older the symptoms seemed to intensify and even change.  To this day he requires professional mental health treatment for his condition.

“Fear is probably the most powerful driving force in my life.  I’m always afraid of losing control.  I’m afraid of how I feel.  I’m afraid of hurting someone else.  I’m afraid I’m going to die in the next minute and a half.  This is my life.”

–Howie Mandel, Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me

One of the most interesting things I have learned from reading OCD memoirs is that one of the most terrifying aspects of this mental illness is that the affected person has to ultimately realize that their own thoughts are not 100% reliable.

“It’s debilitating to know I’m not in control of my own mind.  It goes places, and I cannot bring it back.  People close to me will tell you that during these times I seem agitated or intolerant.  The best description is that I feel incredibly busy in my own mind, and that’s why I need distraction.”

–Howie Mandel, Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me

For the average person this situation is hard to even comprehend.  Can you imagine your mind telling you something, something that feels incredibly real and perhaps even rational, yet you have to somehow learn to say, “I can’t trust that thought.  It must be the OCD talking.”  I imagine you would start to doubt almost everything you thought or felt and it would take a long time to learn (with professional help) which thoughts to trust.

The most amazing part of Howie Mandel’s story, however, is how in spite of his condition which we would all expect to limit his life choices, he becomes a successful stage performer, he has a strong marriage to a very understanding wife and raises three children.  It would be hard to come up with a better OCD success story.

How does Mr. Mandel compensate for his OCD shortcomings?  Comedy requires a keen intelligence, including the ability to think quickly on your feet and to make rapid connections between ideas, people, emotions, physical actions, modes of expression  and objects.  High intelligence seems to be tremendously helpful in successfully coping with OCD.

The other factor in Mr. Mandel’s case seems to be his competing drive for attention.

“I now believe that my brother, Steve, is the reason I have become a performer today.  From the moment ‘the baby’ appeared, I spent every waking moment trying to get all the attention.  Regardless of whether that attention was positive or negative, it was attention just the same.  I didn’t make the connection at the time, but child experts say that a good part of your personality and who you are going to be is formed in the first years of your life  If that is true, then the sick need that I have to be accepted and appreciated by people I don’t know stemmed from spending my entire childhood trying to get 100 percent of the attention.  Obviously, you can’t get all of the attention, but I promise you I’m still trying.”

–Howie Mandel, Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me

For more information on Howie Mandel and his OCD, you can watch the 20/20 profile on him at his website howiemandel.com, which gives details that aren’t discussed in the book.

How does knowing about Howie Mandel’s OCD affect your perception of him?  Please share in the comments.