Howie Mandel's Wife Gave Him an 'Ultimatum' Which Led to His Official OCD Diagnosis

Howie Mandel is getting honest about officially being diagnosed with OCD.

During a recent interview, the America's Got Talent host, 67, explained that his wife Terry Mandel's frustration with his particular habits was the main reason he got help for his obsessive-compulsive disorder.

"I'd have my children and my wife spray everything down and not touch things. I wouldn't take things that they were handed," Howie explained of his spouse, 68, and their children, Jackelyn, 39, Alex, 33, and Riley, 31. "I would remove some of their toys that I saw touch the ground. I was making their life miserable."

The endless rituals and fear became too much for the family to bear, leaving Terry to draw a line in the sand. "My wife just gave me an ultimatum. She goes, 'I can't do this anymore, and I can't have the children do it anymore. And if you don't get help, that's it,'" he recalled.

"So it was an ultimatum that made me ultimately go to therapy, and I got diagnosed (with OCD)," the former Deal or No Deal star said. "I was embarrassed that I had this problem, and when you have a mental health problem, there is a stigma."

Before finally seeing a specialist, Howie admitted he was not focused on caring for himself. "I wouldn't go see a therapist. I wouldn't go see a psychiatrist. I would not talk about the word 'mental health' at all," he noted.

Through it all, his wife and children inspired him to get better. "I've been really successful. I have a beautiful family, and I love what I do. But inside my head, it is a war zone, and it's a war worth fighting, and I continue to fight it," Howie stated.

"I can't tell you how many people come up to me and go, 'Oh, yeah, I'm a little OCD, too. I like everything in order. If my room is not clean, I'm just not happy. I've got a little OCD,'" he said of spreading awareness for getting the right treatment. "You can't have a little OCD."

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With the correct diagnosis and proper plan of action, the television star has come so far. However, it is still an everyday battle. "I still don't shake hands because of my fear of a trigger. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I know that I could shake your hand, and nothing is going to happen. I just don't want to be triggered, so that's why I don't shake hands," he explained.

Today conducted the interview with Mandel.