HOWIE Mandel gave fans a scare last week when he fainted in a California Starbucks. He has since revealed that he’s on the mend, but it’s hardly the first time something like this has happened.
The America’s Got Talent star, 65, has spoken at length about his health issues, revealing that he suffers from various mental health conditions and has heart problems.
Howie maintained that he was doing well after his most recent health scare, but fans were left with more questions than answers following a series of social media posts appearing to show the comic with splotchy skin and dark circles.
He addressed his health during an episode of the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast, joined by daughter Jaclyn Schultz. Howie joked about the fainting episode and subsequent hospitalization, saying: “First of all, what has this world come to where you can’t pass out in a Starbucks privately anymore?”
He went on to explain that he “was dehydrated,” adding in that the price of the larch macchiato he was ordering didn’t help.
Although Howie has since recovered, and the scare appears to have been minor, he does have a history of health problems. In 2006, he spoke openly for the first time about his mental health conditions.
Howie has also been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.
His laundry list of health conditions has left fans with concerns at times, especially recently.
HOWIE’S HOSPITALIZATIONS
Howie was hospitalized briefly after he fainted, but it’s not the first time he’s spent time in a medical facility. In 2009, fans feared he was being held in the hospital after suffering a heart attack.
At the time, the game show host was filming in Toronto. He fell ill during the shoot and was rushed to St. Michael’s Hospital for treatment.
Howie’s rep released a statement following the incident, revealing that he would be back at work in no time. Shortly after, TMZ reported that Howie had been prescribed medication for atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat, earlier in the day.
He apparently took the medication without eating and suffered some side effects as a result.
TICKER TROUBLES
Speaking with Everyday Health about his heart condition, Howie revealed that he had few symptoms before finding out he had atrial fibrillation.
He told the outlet at the time: “There were days when I felt very tired. But I attributed that to my busy schedule, since I tape two TV shows and travel the country performing [stand-up comedy].”
After learning he had an irregular heartbeat, Howie said he got serious about his health.
“Alcohol is one of the triggers for AFib, so [since being diagnosed] I limit my intake,” he shared.
Howie added: “Fatigue is another trigger, so I also make it a priority to get a good night’s sleep.”
He told Everyday Health that he “always tried to live a healthy life,” adding that he’s an avid runner, doing “sever miles each day,” and maintains a good diet.
MANDEL’S MIND
In addition to physical health problems, Howie struggles with several mental health conditions. He speaks openly about them and considers himself an advocate.
The Deal or No Deal host first revealed his mental health battle in 2006, during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show. He told People Magazine years later that he feared the revelation would end his career: “My first thought was that I’ve embarrassed my family.
“Then I thought, ‘Nobody is going to hire somebody who isn’t stable.’ Those were my fears.”
Howie struggles with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety. He told ABC News he was picked on often as a child because of his extreme fear of germs — a part of his OCD.
He is so afraid of germs, in fact, that shaking hands, bumping fists, and even opening door knobs can sometimes be debilitating, according to the outlet.
Howie said: “I’d think I didn’t wash [my hand] well enough.
“And I’d go back and forth in a loop washing my hands for hours.
“I understand the funny in that. But it doesn’t mean it isn’t incredibly painful.”
In addition to germaphobia, Howie battles intrusive thoughts and fixations.
Speaking with People, he called his battle “a nightmare.” Howie went on to share: “I try to anchor myself.
“I have a beautiful family and I love what I do. But at the same time, I can fall into a dark depression I can’t get out of.”
He revealed that his condition worsened during the coronavirus pandemic, telling People: “There isn’t a waking moment of my life when ‘we could die’ doesn’t come into my psyche.
“But the solace I would get would be the fact that everybody around me was OK. It’s good to latch onto OK.
“But [during the pandemic] the whole world was not OK. And it was absolute hell.”
ATTENTION, PLEASE
In July, Howie wrote about his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis for ADDitude magazine. He revealed that although he was diagnosed with that and OCD as an adult, he didn’t “remember a time when I didn’t have them.”
Howie wrote: “Back in the 1960s, when I was growing up, my symptoms didn’t have a name … So, in my case, they were called ‘Howie Mandel.'”
He credited his family with being his support system, noting that his “parents accepted all of my quirks and differences.”
Howie said that even still, “it can be hard — sometimes terrifying and dark — to manage the symptoms of my disorders.”
He revealed that because of his ADHD, he often has to be redirected during conversation. Howie also said it made it hard for his kids to hold his attention when they were small.
Howie wrote: “One of the great pleasures of having children is spending one-on-one time with them. Sadly, I could do that for only a few minutes at a time.”
LEARNING TO COPE
Howie admitted he has “been afraid of being labeled ‘crazy.'” He revealed that he shared his diagnosis on Howard Stern’s talk-radio show without thinking, but was pleasantly surprised by the response.
“People came to me and said, ‘Me too,'” he recalled. “They were the most comforting words I’ve ever heard.”
As far as his mental health is concerned, “there is no cure,” he wrote in ADDitude magazine.
Howie revealed that he does a lot to manage his symptoms, from therapy to medication, but noted: “I won’t tell you the specifics of my treatment.
“People might read it and thing, ‘Well, that works for Howie. I’m gonna take that and I’m going to do that.”
