governors are -- governor in maryland has just told people to get off the roads and stay home. that's the situation as we sign off. now let's go to "larry king live." >> roger: tonight, hao howie man mandel. he suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. millions of others do to. >> check the stove. check. >> larry: how he's lived with that fear for decades. >> i won't touch the table. >> larry: look but don't touch

is next on "larry king live." great pleasure to welcome one of my favorite people to "larry king live." a sometimes host to this show, as well. comedian howie mandel. he's the author of "here's the deal, don't touch me" howie talks about his obsessive-compulsive disorder in his book. i'd shake his hand, but as many of you know he doesn't do that. you don't want to shock the world and shake my hand? >> no, i don't want to shock myself. >> larry: why won't you shake my hand? >> i don't want to be triggered into one of my obsessive-compulsive, whatever episodes. >> larry: is that a germophobia? now they're saying don't shake hands. >> well, this h1n1 thing is the

world has come to see the world my way. but no, this is actually a very scary time for me. and i'm very neurotic, i have an anxiety disorder. that's what this is. and i spent a lot of time joking about it on television and people make fun of it. but the truth is and i reveal revealed -- unwittingly in this book how serious -- i'm terrorized by the fact that i may get something on my hand. and i can't tell you how many times -- and i spent many years and people have seen my shake hands on television. i spent many years touching and shaking and be public about it, but you have no idea what was going on. and on those times when i was triggered, i would go in and scald my hand and wash it and come back out, and i can't even focus or concentrate. i go back in again and again and my whole evening and whole day would be centered around trying to get whatever it is i imagined on my hand off. >> larry: leads to many things. why did you write the book? >> i wrote a book because i was approached to write a book. and i thought i'd been in this

business a long enough time where i have some great things to share like funny little anecdotes and great -- and then as i was sitting there with my co-writer who helped me get organized, i would just spew into a take of the different things that would happen. he was asking me about shaking hands and why don't you do that? and i would tell the stories about when i was a kid. he goes, i've got to put that in. i go, that's serious. he goes no, that's interesting. i kind of had no idea that the book would end up being, you know -- >> larry: serious? >> well, it's funny and entertaining, but it's real. and it's very scary for me. i was telling somebody in the green room that it's kind of embarrassing. this is the first time in my career. i came on the stage originally just to be a comedian and make people laugh then i got jobs as an actor and a voiceover person and a host. and this is the first time i've been this honest and i'm letting down the veil. >> larry: you've discussed it before, but not at this length -- >> not at this level.

it's a very tortuous thing. a very serious thing in my life. and that's not what the whole book is about, but that's a big part of what makes up me. >> larry: you told someone else that you hope it doesn't sell? did you -- are you kidding? >> i told someone else -- >> larry: does it bother you if people buy it? >> it's embarrassing because it's real. these are things i spent my whole life hiding. things that were going on in my mind and my head. and they weren't -- and i go to therapy. enjoy to therapy a lot. and i'm open about that. and i try to get the help so i can cope and make my way with my life and my family. and to now have it for public consumption is a little daunting. so the fact that i may pass somebody in the street who said i read your book. you know about those weird things i was doing as a child. you know about me being -- >> larry: how early did it start? >> i can't remember not having it. >> larry: what's your definition of it? >> of ocd?

>> larry: obsessive-compulsive disorder. >> i know you have a doctor on later and i don't know the exact definition. >> larry: what's your definition? >> i have thoughts intrusive thoughts and rituals that have to -- it's like a broken -- skipping record. and if these thoughts or triggers happen to me through maybe shaking a hand or a thought or -- then i can't get past it and move on with my life. it can be as small as not thinking i locked the door. i talk about that in the book. there's one time when i check the door, everybody does that, then i went to my car. and then i was sure i didn't lock the door, i went back to the door and checked it again. and i went back again and went back again. and intellectually i knew i had checked it. and i went back 30 times until i had to actually -- i almost broke my fist. i smashed the door so hard so i would feel the pain when i went back into the car so i would stop myself from going and checking so i can get on with my life. so these thoughts that -- i don't know what the definition of that is. >> larry: what have you learned is the fear since you know you

went back to the door. what was the fear? why did you have to go back again? what were you afraid of? >> afraid of? it's not -- >> larry: were you afraid the door was unlocked? you knew it wasn't unlocked? >> i thought i didn't check it enough -- it doesn't make -- i think i have, you know, a capacity. you know, a little bit of intellect. i understand that what i'm doing makes no sense. so it's even more bothersome. i understand that if i shook your hand today that i probably will survive. but i can't. >> larry: do you think all of us have little bit -- for example, i'm compulsively not late. i'll never be late, it drives me crazy. i will pack a day before i'm supposed to leave somewhere. i must pack a day before i'm supposed to leave somewhere. is that a form of ocd? >> i don't know. i'm not a doctor. but the truth is, the only reason that i went out and eventually got help and had it

identified is because it stood in the way of my life and my relationships. i couldn't move on. does anything you do in that way -- now here i am, i'm going to -- i'll see you next week at this time. but i think that if it stands in the way of your life -- i don't think there's anybody alive that doesn't need coping issues. that doesn't need therapy. i think that should be -- we take care of our dental health, we don't take care of our mental health. >> larry: more with howie why he won't press an elevator button or wear surgical masks when he's flying -- i don't mean to laugh, but howie's a little weird. the book is "don't touch me." discover gives you a cash back bonus on every single purchase. what you do with it is up to you. what will you get back with your cash back?

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>> larry: we're back with howie mandel, one of my favorite people. the book is "don't touch me." here's the deal, don't touch me. all about ocd obsessive-compulsive. you won't shake hands, we know that. >> it's my autobiography and it's -- >> larry: a major part of this is -- >> i've got adhd too. i've got a lot of letters. >> larry: what's that? >> you don't know what adhd is? i'm impulsive and i can't focus. and i can't sit down and really read for any amount of time. that's why i have somebody help me with this because it was really hard to focus. this was a miracle that i got this -- >> larry: how do you do a show? >> if you come to any of my live

shows, i have the attention span of a gnat. i've never been -- >> larry: i was on one of your shows. >> you were on deal. but i don't rehearse, i don't read a script, i just show up. i can work like that. i can work in the moment. anything that's done in the moment, like this particular thing we're doing right now. this is very easy for me and kind of keeps me in the now and doesn't let my mind wander. but i wasn't -- i don't have an -- well i talk about it in the book, but i wasn't able to finish high school. >> larry: all right. you won't touch handrails, you won't press an elevator button? >> no. >> larry: why? >> because -- >> larry: germs on the button? >> yes. i have little sticks and tools. >> larry: you wear surgical masks when you fly because? >> i think it's obvious. i don't want to inhale what everybody's exhaling. but not every time. i fly a lot without it. not every time. but you know, when you have issues, there are ebbs and flows. at this particular time, i flew

yesterday, i didn't wear a mask and i was okay. i have it with me. i have utensils with me, you know if i got into a restaurant. but i don't always use them. if i need to use them. >> larry: your own utensils? you don't trust the restaurant's? >> you don't know what they touched. and now -- is it not amazing that one time i opened up about what my issues are, and the biggest issue people are aware of is my germiphobia. but what is the lug ck of the dw that me, who finally writes a book, it comes out in the time in the center of the first pandemic. h1n1 and i'm going out on signings and i'm going out to the public. this is the one time when i need to be sealed -- >> larry: how do you handle signings? >> i'm talking to you before i've actually had one. i'm hoping -- again if you see that i'm in your area and there's a signing, just come in and buy the book, there's no reason to come close to me. >> larry: do you have a hard

time in a public bathroom? >> oh, are you kidding me? very rarely. i would, you know, i wish that you wouldn't see -- the fashions are such now that our slacks are tight enough i could not wear a catheter, but if i could, i would. i don't want to go into a public bathroom. me in a public bathroom is like a scene from cirque du soleil. >> larry: has your psychiatrist helped you? >> yes. >> larry: have you gotten better? >> yes. >> larry: how bad was it? >> you know, i think i've said this before. you know the howard hughes movie he was depicted by leonardo dicaprio. and he's naked in a room urinating into bottles and that's where he is. i am not far from that at times in my life. the fact that i'm here talking to you and the fact that i'm out in public and i'm in a very strong wonderful relationship with my wife and children, that is -- i'm functioning. i'm doing okay. i'm coping. and i'm out there.

i'm not cured, but i can -- i have a great career and i have a great loving family. >> larry: i can't wait to read this. i'm not kidding. i don't like to read a book before i talk to the guests. >> am i making you want to read the book? >> larry: yeah. i can't wait to read this book. do you use it in your act? >> the book? >> larry: no the disorder? >> you know, people say -- >> larry: are there jokes you make about yourself? >> i've talked about it. and humor has been the bridge for my survival. you know, for -- at my darkest moments and i talk about that. my family -- there's always something funny and they can see the humor. and i think a sense of humor is the sensibility of being able to find humor where others wouldn't find it. but i spend a lot of time tortured. and yes, i do talk about it in my act. and there's funny stories in there, but they're painful to me. but they're funny. i get it. >> larry: they weren't funny when they happened, but funny in the tell. >> even in the moment i sometimes laughed.

i did laugh in the moment and i knew it was funny even though it was torture. and when i'm most afraid and most uncomfortable, i have a tendency to laugh. >> larry: back in 60 seconds with howie mandel. i have asthma. and when my symptoms-the coughing, wheezing, tightness in my chest came back- i knew i had to see my doctor. he told me i had choices in controller medicines. we chose symbicort. symbicort starts to improve my lung function within 15 minutes. that's important to me because i know the two medicines in symbicort are beginning to treat my symptoms and helping me take control of my asthma. and that makes symbicort a good choice for me. symbicort will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. and should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol may increase the chance of asthma-related death. so, it is not for people whose asthma is well controlled on other asthma medicines. see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. i know symbicort won't replace a rescue inhaler. within 15 minutes symbicort starts

to improve my lung function and begins to treat my symptoms. that makes symbicort a good choice for me. you have choices. ask your doctor if symbicort is right for you. (announcer) if you cannot afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. >> larry: going out to eat does not strike terror in the hearts of most people, it's a battle for howie mandel. let's dine. >> i go here a lot. i like the food here. they're really clean here. then again, i don't touch the door handle. the honest truth is if i wasn't medicated or i didn't have therapy, i probably wouldn't even be here out in a restaurant eating. a lot of guys carry condoms, i have for protection i have plastic utensils in case i'm freaked out. but i'm actually not freaked out today. i'm actually pretty good. i'm okay. but they're there for the choice. but i'll use these.

i'll have the santa fe chicken salad. it's harder for me on the road going into a place i don't know. and it's just in my own mind. it could be just as clean some place else, but if i don't know, i seem to be under more pressure. i use the facilities before i came to the restaurant in my own home. i would not have to use them here. no, i won't touch the table. this would drive me nuts right now, his hand is on the table. okay. so i'll tell you my thought process about this. his hand is on the table. so what happens is some guy comes over, whatever slop or whatever's falling out of somebody's mouth ends up on the table. there's crumbs on the table after you leave, things you drip eating the sandwich, guy comes over with the damp cloth that he's been carrying all day and he wipes, smears it, now it's on his hand. now they'll bring the rolls, he'll take the rolls and -- ocd has been a great diet for me. if somebody doesn't sound healthy, they say i'm just getting over a cold and i had a cold a couple of weeks ago.

i'll get up and leave. i'm out of there. and it makes no sense, but i'll use a straw, but i won't drink directly out of a cup. how did you know that was my issue? thank you. >> you're welcome. >> thank you so much. there you go. welcome to my world. >> larry: has howie's fear affected his ability to get work? the all-new gmc terrain. with an epa estimated 32 miles per gallon highway. may the best car win.

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>> larry: the book is "here's the deal, don't touch me" the author howie mandel. the publisher is phantom written with josh young. has it affected getting work? >> has it affected getting work? i don't think it has. and that's -- i've been really lucky. and i talk about it in the book. when i first revealed the fact that i have mental health issues, i was afraid that was the end. well, my first thought -- you know, i did it publicly on a radio show. but my first thought was i've just embarrassed my family. growing up when i grew up -- and i believe still today there's a stigma attached to mental health issues. >> larry: sad but true. >> absolutely. it's not given the same credence that anything physical. i could say i got a bad leg and everybody goes, oh, that's terrible. i can say i can't function

because i got some issue in my mind and people just think you're coo coo. so i thought my family was going to be embarrassed, i thought nobody would hire me. and as it turns out, it's been a little bit comforting to know i'm not the only one out there. a lot of people suffer from mental -- i don't think there's anybody alive that doesn't have a mental health issue. and a mental health issue could be pressure at work. dealing with the relationship, divorce, being told somebody else you around you that is sick. how do we cope? we don't have anybody to talk to. you'll go to a dentist and get x-rays and find out everything's perfect, but you don't go sit down with somebody and say this is how i'm thinking about something. is this normal? is this right? >> larry: what's the worst thing about it from your standpoint? daily? what's the thing about this disease you hate the most. >> that i have no control. i feel like i'm out of control.

i can't control my own mind. to lose -- there's nothing more terrifying than to lose control of your mind. you know, i'm thinking thoughts like you're asking me these questions that seem to make no sense. what do you think's going to happen with the door? what do you think's going to happen when i don't shake your hand. what do you think is going to happen when you don't count this? and i'm terrified and i can't move on and what's terrifying is that i'm terrified and it makes sense. it doesn't make any sense. so i do and i -- you know, whether you read the book or not, any book out there, anybody out there, you know, if you think you have an issue, there's great help out there. and i get it. and i'm busy. but i am so busy. between my career and all my touring, you know, i see a therapist a couple times a week. i see a psychiatrist. i do different kinds of therapy. i won't talk specifically about what i do -- but i don't want somebody out there to be going howie takes this, i'm going to take this. every person is an individual.

>> larry: obviously it's fear-related. there's some fear involved here, right? >> well, i think it's an anxiety disorder. i know you're going to talk to a doctor later and he can probably -- >> larry: do you have a fear of going on stage? >> fears? i have normal fears. i like that fear. that fear is great fear. the performing fear is wonderful. that's my most -- that's my most comfortable thing -- my most comfortable place in life. that fear is like -- and i've equated it to going on a ride. people who like going on rides at amusement parks. if you like roller coasters, and i do, can you don't want to sit and go through the breeze in your hair without hills and valleys. but if you're thrown up in the air and you feel you've come this close to death and it's scary and you almost got sick, you adrenaline is pumping and you go i've got to do that again. that kind of terror is exhilarating, makes me feel alive, keeps me in the moment and i don't have to think about any of the other issues. quiet time, when nothing's happening is horror for me.

so i sleep with the tv on 24/7, i need noise. i don't sleep that much, not more than four hours a night. i have to be around noise and people, i cannot be alone. >> larry: how does that affect your wife? >> she's a saint. 30 years together. she's a saint. and what i've learned through therapy is i have to learn to live in her and their world rather than them learn to live in mine. but they've been nothing but supportive and loving and understanding and it's -- i would imagine it's tough to live with somebody like me. people always say, you know, because i think my persona has been one of being an entertainer. it's got to be so much fun to live with howie mandel, what's it like? the truth is, it's a challenge. but she says if you ask her how do you do it? she'll tell you in one word. the road. the fact that i go away makes it easier for her. >> larry: that has there been any function problem that you've had that you've conqucuqueconqu?

a thing you used to do you don't do any more? >> i think the fact i'm here is conquering. >> you wouldn't have done this ten years ago? >> it would have been harder or i was depressed. or before you saw me in this business, you know, i had tough times. i was not -- not horrible times, i've always had a loving family. i was a little kid. i talk about this. i didn't have a lot of friends. i was thought of as a pariah. i couldn't function in school. i was asked to leave school, i didn't finish school. i couldn't even focus. my a.d.d. was so tough that -- i'll talk about in the book, but these are the kinds of things that embarrassed me. i knew i had to go the bathroom and something shiny over here would happen and i would wander over there and i didn't make it to the bathroom. so now i'm standing there and i have no friends and i had wet my pants and had to find a puddle to jump into. so i was this kid who couldn't concentrate who was always falling into puddles who

wouldn't tie his shoe because the laces touched the floor. i walked like quasi modo. you have no idea the mess i was in as a kid. so be here with you and to be dry and to be functioning and to have a family is a conquer. >> larry: i'll stand back. what's it like growing up with a dad with ocd? howie's son joins us next. we'll get some answers. but it is impossible to build a wall that separates a man from his freedom. because freedom always finds a path... to build peace. this film is dedicated to aung san suu kyi, still prisoner in burma. some people will stick with their old way of getting vitamins and minerals. others will try total raisin bran. with 100% of the daily value of 11 essential vitamins and minerals

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>> larry: we're back with howie

mandel, the comedian, host of the game show "deal or no deal." joining us alex mandel, his son, he is 20 years old, he goes to college. and what's it been like growing up with this as a father? >> with this? >> larry: i refer to it as this in the kindest terms. >> oh. >> wonderful. >> wonderful. it's been wonderful. >> larry: no -- >> no, it's -- at times it was -- it was hard, i guess. but, you know, at the same time, i think i have some of the craziness that he has. but not for the same reasons. >> larry: meaning? >> like, i think -- >> i think he has a little bit of ocd. >> and a.d.d. >> larry: inherited, do you think? >> i asked the doctor if it's genetic, but i can't tell you how much guilt i bear that he spends some of his life a little uncomfortable because of maybe

something he got from me. >> larry: what's been the biggest problem? >> well, you know, the biggest thing is just, you know, that it's -- a lot of the stuff i would like to do he can't do normally, i would say. >> sitting here talking. are you talking about ocd or a.d.d.? >> larry: pick -- >> we can't have a conversation that went time from the time he was a little boy. he's excited about something and wants to tell me something. and what usually happens in the middle of the story? >> that. that. >> well, i also have bad a.d.d. also. >> larry: so you tune him out? >> i tune him out, he tunes me out. >> tweeting become really good. it's only 140 characters, that's how we think. >> larry: how do you function in schools, alex? >> barely. >> yeah, barely. i actually -- i've had a lot of problems just like my dad did in school although i have a high school diploma at least. i'm in college now, so i'm --

>> larry: do you have a sister? >> i have two sisters. >> larry: do they have it? >> no, they do not. >> larry: do more males have this? >> another question for a doctor. we don't know. but no, one of -- jackie, my older has definitely has -- >> she does it to make you proud and to make you happy. i don't know if it's as -- >> i would not be proud. it's devastating to think my child had something that has ocd. i think she does display it. i don't know if it's genetic. i don't know if it's learned, you know. and that's been my biggest issue. i try in front of the kids not to act this way. >> larry: did he go to parent-teachers meetings? >> yes. he did. >> larry: what was he like at that meeting? >> he's fine. if he keeps a distance when he's talking to people. but because, you know -- >> my wife kind of runs the show when it comes to home. and i have a hard time in focusing and concentrating. i take part in everything. i don't miss birthdays and i was very much a part of their

schooling. and whatever i can do. this is my most important -- >> larry: of course. >> i would give up the business, everything for my children and my wife. >> larry: how do you feel about your dad? you love him? >> yeah. >> larry: how do you feel about this thing he has? these two things he has? >> the two things he has, yeah. well, if you want to say two. there's a lot of things. >> larry: more than two? >> yeah, definitely more than two. but you know, it's something that as bad as it sounds almost normal to me because i grew up watching him be like this. it's not normal for me to think he's not -- that everyone does this. but i've kind of grown to cope with things that he goes through and understand things. when i was younger it was always i'm putting my hand on the railing to go downstairs and he's pulling my hands away and telling me no, no, no don't touch that. you can get diseases and stuff. and telling me things like that. and now i'm older and i don't touch them. but i know that just like him i'm not going to get anything

from it. but i think in that sense, you know, i got some of the things from him. >> it became their norm. i spent a good portion of my time going this isn't normal. dad's just -- don't be like this. and i've been very open with them to know -- where are you going? i've got to go to the psychiatrist or the therapist. i have to take my medication or whatever. i'm open about that. i don't think we should -- >> larry: did you worry about your dad a lot as a kid? >> yes, because -- there were a lot of times where it got really bad and we saw where he is the funny man on stage on tv at home too all the time. but there's times that he has his freak-outs. and he'll literally go into a corner and back up and you know, sit in the corner. can't talk to anyone, can't be near anyone. or he'll lock himself in a room and not come out for a while. >> larry: do your friends kid you about this as a kid? >> yeah. >> larry: did they come over to the house? >> they joke about when i go over i'm going to try to shake his hand and stuff like that.

they're all having fun with it, but you know, it is a big problem that he has and that other people understand. >> larry: have you read the book? >> have i read the book? i've read portions -- little -- he's like showed me things. >> he doesn't have to read it. >> larry: let's get a break. we'll be back with howie mandel and alex mandel. and the book is "here's the deal, don't touch me."

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i've never been surrounded by this much medical expertise. >> we all have hand sanitizer. >> not as much as me. >> larry: we're back with howie mandel and alex mandel. it had to be so frustrating, howie, right? did you change diapers? >> yes. >> larry: you did? >> i did. he's not wearing the same diaper -- yes, it doesn't make any sense. i did change diapers. i did wash my hands. i did for years and years i shook hands on television. this is just -- i think in the last six years i haven't shaken a hand. yet i'm functioning and i've always been able to get through. it's just hard. but i realize that everybody's got their cross to bear. and, you know, this happens to be mine. and it could be worse. and, you know, of all of the things that could possibly be wrong, this is, you know, i'm -- i'm happy that there is help, there are people, it is real. and, you know, i can function.

and i'm very proud of my children. and i make sure if they have any issues they get the help they need and i hope that everybody out there, you know, gets the help they need. >> larry: do you get help? >> yeah, that's one big thing, though, a lot of people ask. what about when you're sick? and i think that he has a good sense of -- he has a good sense of what's most important to him. and i think that, you know, family is a huge thing for him. way bigger than any of his problems. right away from being like a germaphobe and all that, he doesn't think twice about it. and he'll make sure we're okay, everything's okay. he'll come in when i'm sick. even though sometimes he's wearing surgical mask and gloves and stuff. >> i am. >> but he still makes the effort to come in and make sure we're okay. >> and i take you to the hospital. those are tougher. it just feels different for me than somebody who doesn't have this.

>> larry: and having been the banker on your show, you're a host. that's part of the melody, isn't it? >> i'm not good at analyzing myself. i just am. and as luck would have it in life, whatever issues i've had i've been able to function and get by and do whatever it is i've been asked to do with them. >> larry: do you get depressed? >> a lot. yes. >> larry: how do you deal with that? >> i have help. i talk to people. >> larry: do you get depressed? >> not for the same reasons, but yes. >> larry: must be an interesting house. >> we're not depressed. we're a happy house. >> yeah, but mine's more -- i get -- i try my best to do okay in school and do all that stuff like that but my a.d.d. also does get in the way. that's something that i think i have myself and didn't get from him. >> larry: do you think there's anybody who doesn't have --

>> everybody has elements of it. >> but i don't think everybody believes -- i believe there isn't a soul and i keep saying this and maybe hopefully this -- well, i don't know that the book does this, but hopefully when you read the book you see that i get -- that you can function through anything if you go and check it out. you know, i did some work last year for the adult adhd. and you know, i think they had a website adult adhd is real and you can go there and take tests. if you believe this is something you may have, it can be identified and your life can become better. and my life has -- is phenomenal because of my family, because of professional help, because of medication. >> larry: there's a tv series devoted to those with obsessive-compulsive disorders. we'll have a look at it in 60 seconds.

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here's a look at a&e's "obsessed." >> right now i feel like my teeth are a bunch of little ticking time bombs in my mouth. my entire dental routine takes me about 25 minutes. i've been to the dentist 75 times in the last two years. i know every number of my teeth. i can easily rattle off at least ten teeth that i think might need work done. the time i was just afraid to eat. i want to spit my food out right now. it's so stupid the way i cling to these compulsions. i know my husband got tired of hearing about my teeth. i saw my dentist more than i saw my husband. it ruined my marriage. >> since my dad passed away, i can't drive on a highway. it's an obsession that's got out of hand. i saved my father's clothes from the accident the night he died.

i continue to put them on. i used to be so afraid that my kids would walk in and see that and what would i say? >> i hate it when people don't understand. >> larry: we'll meet the obsessed next. ng for a chevy. can we speed this up? not only do they come with the best deals of the year, they come with the best coverage in america. you snooze you lose. hey! i'll take it! let the chevy red tag event begin. now during the chevy red tag event, get 0 percent apr for 72 months on most '09 models. see red and save green. now at your local chevy dealer. - sure, cake or pie? - pie. - apple or cherry? - cherry. oil or cream? oil or cream? cream. some use hydrogenated oil. reddi-wip uses real dairy cream. nothing's more real than reddi-wip. reddi-wip uses real dairy cream.

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tonight on ac "360," a monster of a storm said to dump up to 2 feet of snow on parts of the east coast. we'll have the latest and the breaking news. plus president obama trying to get back home before that storm slams washington. he is in the air right now after less than 24 hours in copenhagen. the president did get a compromised deal on climate change sort of. we'll take a look at the raw politics ahead. plus, uncovering america. one family's beloved dog shot and killed.

a lawsuit follows. now it is in front of the vermont supreme court. and the decision could have nationwide implications. that's all ahead at the top of the hour on "ac 360." please join us. a big part of the treatment of ocd is exposure therapy. and exposure therapy is literally exposing somebody to the feared situation that they've been avoiding for most of their lives. >> we actually got corn on the cob. we have chips and salsa and we also got two apples. >> frightened actually to eat. >> what are you thinking about? >> i'm thinking my teeth are going to hurt. >> and then what will happen? >> break a filling, break a tooth to the point of no repair. >> larry: we're talking to howie mandel about phobias. joining us now is an obsessive-compulsive disorder therapist, department of psychiatry, cedar sinai, one of

the therapists on the a&e show "obsessed." she says she would clean her teeth 30 to 40 minutes a night and was deadly afraid of eating apples and other hard foods. helen rhodes said she would recheck her doors, lock seat belts for hours, not drive on a freeway in los angeles. howie's book is "don't touch me." john, you're here, give me a definition of this. what is ocd? >> well, the hallmark for ocd is the presence of obsession as well as compulsion. and obsessions are very repetitive, persistent, dark intrusive thoughts. usually doom and gloom thoughts that cause people a lot of distress. and the compulsions are these little mental acts or behaviors that people perform in response to the obsessions. and in hopes of mitigating anxiety. now the lynch pin to the whole disorder is that the compulsions actually give you a benefit.

if they didn't give you a benefit, people wouldn't come pulse. >> larry: they help you to do them? >> they mitigate the anxiety, meaning they lessen the anxiety, so it brings you back. if you think of a math equation. pain plus relief equals repetiti repetition. you're going to continue doing something even though you know as howie was mentioning before it's pretty out there and we know it's unreasonable, but we keep on doing it. >> larry: how long have you been affected? >> i guess essentially over 20 years. >> larry: do you remember how it started? >> when i was 12 years old, i knocked out a front tooth. and every since then -- well, until therapy i never bit into corn on the cob, never bit into an apple. i was afraid to bite into sandwiches. always afraid that even the fake tooth would fall out, which it did once in a while. >> larry: that's sparked other fears? >> yep. humiliation, being unloved, being ugly mostly. unwanted -- more recently being

jobless and being alone. >> larry: are you getting better? >> absolutely, yeah. absolutely. >> larry: you feel you're getting better? >> i feel i'm getting better. >> larry: helen, when did you start suffering from ocd? >> i've had it for a long time, but i think it was triggered about three years ago when my dad passed away. >> larry: and that led to your doing what? >> compulsing on everything. i think i had to have total control of everything in my environment. >> larry: wash your hands a lot? >> i'm not too much into the washing, i don't have a phobia of the germs. i'm more of the checking sort. i have a disaster fear. if i don't check everything disaster's going to happen. >> larry: are you getting better? >> yes, i am. >> larry: what do you notice? >> i'm able to get on the freeway and drive now. i have eliminated my need for checking the clock. i've removed my alarm clock from

the bedroom so i don't have the need to come pulse and do that. i usually ask my kids twice if their seat belts are buckled and i won't ask it again. i try to keep the thoughts out of my head. >> larry: what are you better at? >> i'm better at my ritual that i -- well, i really don't have as much as a ritual. i used to brush my teeth and floss up to 30 minutes a day, 40 minutes a day sometimes. and now it's ten minutes or less. i've gotten rid of a lot -- i had so many different dental devices that i used and i've just trashed a lot of them, gotten rid of them, and i no longer use them. >> larry: let's take a look at the clip of the a&e documentary series "obsessed" and see some of what they've gone through. >> you got your seat belt? matt, nick? >> yeah. >> okay. seat belts? nick, i can't feel your seat belt. nick, matt, let me hear it? >> yes.

>> you guys have your seat belts on? >> yeah, mommy. >> i want to be strong for them. for the kids, i'm their mom, i don't have a choice, you know. >> oh, god, of course, we have to behind a bus. >> i always think, oh, my god, that's the last thing my dad saw. >> mommy, what's wrong? what's wrong? >> nothing, we're just waiting for the light to change. that was scary. i feel out of control. >> larry: howie, are you on that show? >> no, and i can't watch it and i won't watch that clip. i find -- i told you this -- it triggers me. you know, i can't watch -- i don't need that thought going into my head. on the way home it probably won't happen because i'm talking about it now. and -- but if i watch something like that, those are the kind of intrusive thoughts. i'm going to freak out that the seat belt isn't done. i can't. i started watching. i was excited, i heard about the

show. and i turned it on and i watched for about maybe three minutes and then i went, oh, my god, i've got to call my therapist. >> larry: is attention deficit completely different? >> there's some similarities in there. there's a lot of overlap with obsessive-compulsive disorder with depression, eating disorders, sometimes adhd. >> larry: do you see anybody get completely rid of both of them? >> people have asked me that a lot. and i think you need that little bit of anxiety in your life to survive in this world. so my job as a therapist to help people put in a dimmer switch. it's not to turn off the anxiety switch altogether, but put in a dimmer and help them manage it a little bit better. >> larry: when we come back, we'll see a little bit of a clip. ♪ to get the best price ♪ to stop chasing sales ♪ when i'd rather be ♪ having story time by the tree ♪ (announcer) this christmas, you don't have to chase sales. walmart checks other stores' prices so you don't have to - and if there's a better advertised price out there,

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>> larry: we're back. howie's book is "don't touch me." it's an autobiography. a lot of funny stuff. a lot of stuff other than this. let's take a look at mora in the

a&e documentary series "obsessed." >> i start out with a water pick, then i floss my teeth, and after that i use the water pick again and then use an electric toothbrush. i used the water pick again just to rinse my teeth. after the third use of the water pick, i will super floss. sometimes i'll rinse with salt water, i'll use my prescription mouthwash. if i skipped over my entire routine i would imagine all the little particles in my mouth causing decay that i won't be able to think. >> larry: john, how many people have this? >> it's estimated 2.2 million americans are affected by it each year. but as i was telling howie earlier, i think the numbers are higher because there are studies out there that show that people take up to ten, sometimes 15 years to actually come out of the actually come out of the ocd closet and get help. so the shame and the stigma is so high that people are so

terrified, even today, to talk about this thing. >> more men than women or women than men? >> it's not gender specific, but it's more apt that women could come to treatment before men would. >> how about racial effect? >> i don't think so. >> is it genetic? >> good question. it's considered a neuro biological illness. so it's a combination of the genetics, you're hard-wired for this disorder, but it's also about your environment and how traumatic events, life situations can actually spike it and/or make it worse. so it's a nature and a nurture. >> was it hard, helen, to talk about it, initially? >> initially, yes, it was very difficult to talk about. i think i'm to a point now, where -- >> you're here. >> exactly. i'm here. and i've accepted it. and, you know, my biggest thing that i would like to say, mr. king, is that people like me, like us, we're not contagious. you can't catch ocd from us. we're human. >> people treat you like they can? >> yes.

>> really? >> it's really not a funny disease. it's really lonely. >> laura? >> well -- >> you're out. >> yeah. i guess what i would like to say is that it's -- it is important to erase the stigma. much i had stigma against myself, even. and in my lowest point, i felt that i was simply existing. i wasn't living anymore. i was here, i was alive, but i wasn't existing, and i knew i needed help, and i just had hope that somebody could help me and i saw the opportunity to get therapy, and now i just want to spread compassion for people. >> howie, can you laugh at it? >> yeah, laughter as i said before -- it's my bridge. if i don't laugh at it, i'll cry. you know, i'll -- all my life, you know, i grew up, i'm 54 years old, so when i was growing up in the '60s, you know, it was

just normal, it was just accepted that, you know, i freaked out if i was fighting with my brother, and i talk about this in the book. all he would have to do -- and he's my younger brother and i could probably have beat him, but if he held up the lid to the laundry hamper, i screamed like a little girl and the fight was over. nobody questioned that. and i would walk like quasi moto and was deeply depressed, and nobody said there is help for that or identified it. and so to have it identified, and to come out, as he says, there is comfort in that. >> and i just want to comment, too, on the loneliness around it. it is a very lonely illness, and it's -- you know, a show like "obsessed," a book that howie has written, very slowly will help destigmatize that process. >> very lonely. thanks for bringing two more people. it's like an ocd