Howie Mandel’s Near-Fatal Self-Medication During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, comedian and “America’s Got Talent” host Howie Mandel (age 70) began self-medicating to cope with severe anxiety, insomnia and intrusive thoughts. He initially used prescription medication without medical supervision, then turned to gummy supplements, and later added smoking and alcohol in an attempt to “escape and make [himself] unconscious.” Mandel says his wife, Terry—whom he married in 1980—found him unresponsive on several occasions and considered taking him to the hospital. He describes the episode as “almost died” from the combined substance use.

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Mandel has publicly disclosed living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He characterizes himself as a germaphobe, noting that the pandemic amplified his fear of contamination and disrupted his sleep. The heightened rumination and “dark, reoccurring thoughts” led him to seek immediate relief through unregulated dosing of prescription drugs and later over-the-counter gummies.

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Mandel told host Hoda Kotb that he is now sober, maintains a prescribed medication regimen, and attends therapy to manage his anxiety. He credits his wife’s intervention as pivotal, calling her a “hero” for urging professional help. Mandel emphasizes that he now focuses on “distraction” and staying “in the moment” as coping strategies, rather than relying on substances.

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• “I have such a fear of those lows because they’re incredibly painful and hard to navigate,” — Howie Mandel

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• “So I’ve medicated myself. And I’m talking about prescription medication, not that I’m self-medicating, though I did that during [the COVID-19 pandemic] and I almost died.” — Howie Mandel

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• “There were times when my wife, she couldn’t wake me up, or she thought she was going to take me to the hospital,” — Howie Mandel

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