For anyone who has watched even a few episodes of the globally renowned America's Got Talent, it is common knowledge that Howie Mandel has full-blown germophobia, an irrational fear of germs.

Understandably, a global pandemic was decidedly more difficult for the celebrated comic than it would have been for your average Joe. As Mandel confessed to TMZ, things at the Mandel household were so dire that his wife threatened to leave him if he did not seek help to alleviate his condition. 

The Pandemic Was Especially Hard for Howie Mandel

Speaking to TMZ, Mandel was promoting his upcoming documentary Howie Mandel: But, Enough About Me. In the process, he candidly expounded on his struggles with OCD, ADHD, and borderline depression, amongst other mental health struggles. 

Right off the bat, Mandel spoke of the commitments he had made before the pandemic. But, unfortunately, he had already given people his word. So he had to show up at various locations only to be greeted by camera people and other crew members dressed in hazmat gear. 

One has to admit, such an environment would be jarring for anybody, but it was especially hard for Mandel, who at the time was battling his own mental health issues. 

Howie Mandel's Wife Pushed Him to Seek Out Help

The America's Got Talent judge confessed to the outlet and the audience of his documentary that he was pushed into admitting the state of his mental health by his wife. 

He admitted he decided to get professional help and deal with his own mental health issues only after his wife issued an ultimatum. He explained, 

The thing that drove me to go getting help and notifying myself of my own issues was an ultimatum that I once got from my wife who said, 'You either go get help or that's it.' She threatened to leave and I wouldn't leave.

Ultimately, he complied and sought professional help. But with all the professional help that Hollywood money could buy, things weren't easy for Mandel. 

Howie Mandel Found a Silver Lining

Mandel went on to talk about how people would often jokingly said to him, "Hey, Howie, you been preparing for this all along?" But the fact of the matter was that it was a legitimate nightmare for him. 

He candidly told the interviewers that he would roll up into a ball in a fetal position in a corner after the interview because dealing with all that came with the pandemic was so hard for him. 

Apparently, he has done his fair share of efforts to keep himself from a complete breakdown. He had upped his medication and even remarked that he had propelled his therapist into a whole new tax bracket.

Although Mandel was admittedly teetering on the verge of depression, he did find a silver lining to all of this. He appreciated how people were slowly but surely growing a newfound acceptance towards seeking help for mental issues. 

He believed that the pandemic had put weight on people's shoulders that had ultimately worked its way to removing the stigma that would have otherwise encompassed those with mental health issues and seeking out help for said issues.Â