Nick Cannon stunned after shock mental health diagnosis, 'I need help'
Television host and music personality Nick Cannon has revealed he has been diagnosed with a mental health condition. The 44-year-old, who has fathered 12 children by six women including Mariah Carey and Bre Tiesi, recently announced on his Counsel Culture podcast that he suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD).
Sufferers have an unreasonably high sense of self-importance, and they tend to seek out attention from others, according to the Mayo Clinic. People with narcissistic personality disorder may also have difficulty caring for the feelings of other people. Although it's currently believed that narcissistic personality disorder, like other personality disorders, is a lifelong condition, the symptoms can improve with aggressive therapy.
While serving Thanksgiving dinners at the Los Angeles Mission on Wednesday, Cannon told People that he had always suspected he might have undiagnosed mental health conditions. 'I still don't understand it all the way, but I kind of always wanted to get tested for it. I did a bunch of tests,' he explained. 'I've been diagnosed with ADHD. Even as a kid it was dyslexia, but just knowing that I'm just a neurodivergent individual, I kind of always knew.'
The Wild 'N Out host added that he's treating his newly diagnosed condition gives him a new opportunity to improve himself and his life. 'I feel like there's so many labels out there, but it's like, to be able to embrace it and say, "Look, I'm healing. I need help. Show me." I just embrace mental health and therapy in such a strong way,' he explained. 'To be able to say I'm an example for others, but also be healing during the self-process works too.'
Cannon previously had Dr. Cheyenne Bryant, a psychologist, on his podcast to diagnose him. During their chat, he admitted that most of the 'markers' for narcissistic personality disorder described him to a T. But the development made him feel empowered as he came to understand the disorder through his 'research.'
The causes of narcissistic personality disorder aren't currently known, though childhood factors are theorized to play a role in developing the condition. Unhealthy relationships with parents are thought to play a role, though multiple different behaviors could impact the development of NPD. Children who are rejected by parents or excessively critiqued could be at risk, but kids who receive excessive praise from caregivers could also be in danger of developing the disorder, according to Harvard Medical School. NPD may be expressed in different ways, and some individuals may still lead relatively normal, productive lives while living with the condition, though it may be debilitating for others.
It often occurs in concert with other mental health conditions, most commonly including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, bipolar disorder or other personality disorders. The personality disorder affects around five percent of adults in the US and is around 50 percent more common in men than women. During his stint at Wednesday's charity Thanksgiving food event, Nick was joined by other stars, including Magic Mike actor Joe Manganiello and former Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval. According to People, the celebrity group served more than 4,000 meals, which were free of charge to those in need.
The event also donated over 2,000 items of clothing, while also helping those in need get pampering sessions that included haircuts, manicures, and pedicures. In addition to being known for his acting and hosting roles, Cannon is nearly as famous for his enormous family. The Drumline star now has 12 children from several different mothers since welcoming his first child in 2011. Cannon recently joked with People that he's 'a busy man' around Thanksgiving time due to having to go to 'a bunch of dinners' with his various families.
'It's very complicated,' the former America's Got Talent host said. Cannon added that all of the women he shared children with specialized in different Thanksgiving dishes, so he was 'going to be full by the end of the day.' 'Some people got good sweet potato pie, some people got amazing fried turkey,' he explained. 'So I know every house that needs to have the things that I really like.'
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