It was comedy that helped him during the toughest times in his life.

“My coping mechanism is finding the humorous,” he declared. “If I’m not smiling, I’m probably sobbing. And I’ve still held back on how horrible and dark it actually gets. In a way, comedy saved me. I feel very much at ease on stage. And when I have nothing to do, I retreat, which is not healthy.”

Mandel’s goal is to help raise awareness about mental illness and break the stigma.