( CNN ) -- Howie Mandel endured ridicule from other kids as a child because when his shoelaces came undone , he would limp around without tying them . He did n't want to handle the laces because they had touched the ground , and he thought they were dirty . Mandel , a Canadian comedian , later learned that he has obsessive compulsive disorder , a condition characterized by repetitive thoughts , impulses or images , and behaviors performed over and over . Some people with OCD wash their hands excessively or check to see if doors are locked multiple times . About 2.2 million Americans have OCD , according to the National Institutes of Health . Research has suggested the condition runs in families . Mandel also has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression . `` As a child I did n't know that these things even existed , '' he told CNN 's Erin Burnett . `` I knew that I felt isolated . '' Mandel said his OCD is more complicated than he has led people to believe . It 's not as straightforward as a fear of germs . `` I know intellectually that if I shake somebody 's hand that I 'm not going to get sick and die , '' he said . But there have been times when Mandel has touched something or someone and then obsessed for the rest of the day about it , trapped in a `` never ending obsessive-compulsive world . '' Mandel recently appeared on `` The Tonight Show '' with Jay Leno , and dipped his hand into a large bowl of hand sanitizer before shaking hands with the host . Mandel admitted to Burnett that he made the situation `` more dramatic than it was , '' and that it was actually not a big problem to touch Leno 's hand . `` I do n't know when it 's going to be a big problem , '' he said . A big concern of Mandel 's is that there are no routine resources in place for mental health for young people , the way there are for physical health . Mandel said that just like parents take their children to pediatricians and dentists , mental health -- such as counseling -- should also be part of the picture . `` We take care of our dental health , '' he said . `` We do n't take care of our mental health . '' Mandel acknowledged that some people with mental illnesses are overmedicated ; at the same time , some sufferers of colds want to take antibiotics unnecessarily . But Mandel is more concerned about helping people cope with their life situations , both those who have diagnosed mental illnesses and those who do not . ADHD : Who makes the diagnosis ? `` We are so behind in the world as to not have something in place that just teaches everyone how to cope , '' he said . The embarrassment and stigma surrounding mental health issues needs to end , he said . `` I think the solution to making this world better is if we would just be healthy , mentally , '' Mandel said . Follow Elizabeth Landau on Twitter at @ lizlandau .
Howie Mandel has OCD , ADHD and depression . Mandel wants mental health resources available for children . He is a good guy who just needs help to get better Comment: I'm not sure if this question was asked before or after the last thread but