Interview with Howie Mandel: Questions Anyone?

What is the relationship between ADHD and asthenia?
What precautions to mitigate asthenia?

Please thank him for publicly admitting that he has ADHD & the awareness campaign.

Please ask him why there are so many actors and celebrities willing to publicly admit that they are alcoholics, drug addicts, cheat on their spouses, have depression or bipolar, but very few are willing to come out and admit they have a mainly inherited neurobiological condition like ADHD?

Especially when it seems that many actors & comedians do show many of the symptoms of ADHD. ie probably a lot more than 5% of celebrities have ADHD.

Pete Quily

I have a support group for Adults with ADD/ADHD, and I find that many of us are what I call "resource-challenged". When ADD'ers are unemployed, under-employed or self-employed, often without health insurance, with limited financial resources to pay for medications and the other help that is available to those with the means to pay for them (PDA's, therapy, coaching, etc.) what do you suggest, other than support groups?

Can you ask Howie what specific tools and resources he uses that he has found to be most helpful?  Also, ask how important a role his wife of 30 years has had in helping him deal with his ADHD symptoms?  Does any of his children have ADHD or ADD?

Hi Howie:

I'd like to know what medications Howie treats for his ADHD if any?  Does his wife have ADHD?  How has ADHD impacted his marriage & parenting skills?  What helped him in resolving issues in those areas? 

How does he stay motivated?  I know choosing a career of interest is the best way to keep a job.  How did he choose the entertainment field?

One last question.  Growing up did you have a lot of people tell you that you "talked too fast, that they couldn't understand you?  That you were too hyper!  Deny you sugar?  Have people ask you if you were on drugs because you were always so busy busy busy?  If so, how did it affect your self-esteem and how did you handle it?  Has anyone ever told you they didn't "believe in ADHD"?  Or that you could control it without drugs?

I've gotten a lot in my life but I'm from a lower socioeconomic background.  I am now a paralegal and I advocate for homeless people and people with addictions who can't afford medical insurance or don't have access to people who can help them.  After getting clean off meth several years ago and began treatment for ADHD with stimulants, I have excelled.  There are so many people who have no idea that they suffer from a mental health issue and that their addictons are the END result of other untreated problems.  Howie do you agree with that?  If so, will you help in my passion to create an awareness in this area? 

I had never heard of ADHD prior to inpatient treatment in a dual diagnosis clinic.  Although I am not where I want to be, I am sure not where I used to be!

It's great to connect with other people with ADHD.  It helps make me feel that I'm not so misunderstood and that I'm not alone.  I now consider my ADHD a gift and I work hard toward changing public policy so that more low-income people can have access to professionals who are willing to treat people for their mental health issues regardless of their former addictions, lifestyles and criminal backgrounds.  Legalizing drugs isn't the answer: education and access is.

God bless you all.

Cherry