Popular TV personality, 70, says he ‘almost died’ during COVID

Alabama Life & CultureHowie Mandel opens up about he 'almost died' during COVID. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)Jordan Strauss/Invision/APBy Kelly Corbett | kcorbett@syracuse.comHowie Mandel claims he “almost died” after self-medicating during the coronavirus pandemic.The 70-year-old entertainer opened up about his mental health struggles during an appearance on Hoda Kotb’s “Joy 101” podcast on Monday, Aug. 24. Mandel, who has been candid about his battles with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, said the pandemic lockdown proved particularly difficult for someone who already identifies as a germaphobe.“I’m sober right now, but during the pandemic I couldn’t sleep because part of my rumination is … I’m a germaphobe, and a pandemic? I live, like, I’m in a pandemic anyhow,” Mandel said. “When there’s a real one, it was hard for me to handle. It was hard for a lot of people, but I wasn’t strong enough to handle it.”The television personality said he began taking marijuana-infused gummies to help him sleep, then escalated to smoking and drinking in an attempt to “escape and make (himself) unconscious.”“There were times when my wife couldn’t wake me up or she thought she was going to take me to the hospital,” Mandel recalled, referring to his wife Terry, 71. “There’s no middle ground with me. I don’t smoke or I haven’t had a beer, anything, I can’t do anything in moderation. It wasn’t healthy and it wasn’t good. It’s not an excuse, but it was really bad.”Mandel credited his wife with getting him professional help through an ultimatum that prompted him to seek therapy.“My wife just went, ‘I can’t do this, this is really tiring, go talk to somebody,’” he said. “The ultimatum was, ‘Try to find some help, because I can’t do this anymore.’ She’s a hero because she put up with it and sent me to therapy.”Now back on prescription medication and working with mental health professionals, Mandel described his ongoing effort to manage his conditions.“I’m medicated and I have a lot of therapy,” he said. “I have such a fear of those lows, because they’re incredibly painful and hard to navigate, so my life consists of trying to balance up here and manage the medication.”Kelly Corbett is a Trending News Reporter for syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. She covers a wide range of topics from celebrity and TV news to store closings and product recalls. In addition to syracuse.com,...