Everything Drew Carey Has Said About His Mental Health Journey
"The Price is Right" star Drew Carey is one of the most established comedians of his generation, having first found success with "The Drew Carey Show," and later as the host of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" But despite his comic career, the daytime host has been very candid about his mental health journey. He's shared stories of his struggles over the years, from his younger days, into adulthood.
One of those stories was told in a February 2025 Us Weekly piece, in which Carey talked about experiencing depression at the age of 8, following the death of his father. He also revealed that it caused him to begin biting his nails, a habit that continued into his later years. "When I was in grade school and junior high, I not only bit my nails, I'd bite my cuticles," Carey admitted. "I'd bite the pads of my fingers and tear the skin off until they bled."
Carey went on to say that even though he was a Christian in junior high, it didn't help him mentally, and actually made things worse. "I felt I was never good enough because I was a sinner, and everything was always going to be bad."
Drew Carey attempted suicide in his younger years
Comedian and TV host Drew Carey has enjoyed a successful career in Hollywood since the debut of his 1995 sitcom "The Drew Carey Show," but he attempted suicide twice during his young adulthood. During a January 2025 appearance on "Who's Talking to Chris Wallace," Carey revealed that the attempts, which happened when he was 18, and later in his 20s, were a call for help. "I was just tired of my life and [thought], who's gonna miss me" (via Entertainment Weekly).
Carey went on to say that serving in the Marine Corps Reserves in the early 1980s was good for him, as it gave him a purpose in life. Though he's in a much better place mentally, he admitted that he sometimes still has feelings of inadequacy, and questioned who would care if he was no longer around. He also stated that he would prefer cremation over burial. "No funeral and anything associated with, like, all my mementos and stuff. You can just burn them and give them away. Like, who cares?"
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Drew Carey was deeply impacted by the death of his former fiancée
Actor and comedian Drew Carey has made a career of putting smiles on people's faces, but his public work as an entertainer is not the charmed life that many fans believe it to be. His emotional journey was heavily impacted in 2020 with the shocking murder of his former fiancée Amie Harwick. Harwick was thrown from her balcony in the early morning hours of February 15 by an ex-boyfriend.
In an interview on "48 Hours," Carey talked about how he reacted when he received the news. "I just started crying ... I just — I couldn't even stand up" (via CBS News). Carey also revealed that Harwick had texted him the day before her death. "[She] said, 'Hey, I know we haven't talked in a while, but I've been doing a lot of thinking about, you know, forgiveness, and I would love to get together with you and talk."
Carey texted back that he'd love to see her, and ended the message by saying he loved her. It's something he says to many people in his life, but he truly meant it when speaking to Harwick. Reflecting back on that time, Carey expressed he was happy he'd heard from her. "I'm glad I could get that message to her before she died" (via CBS News).
Therapy has helped Drew Carey's mental health
Despite the level of success Drew Carey has enjoyed, it's been a lifelong effort to maintain his mental health. Through it all, he's made a stunning transformation. Carey revealed in a March 2024 interview with People that his mental health journey has vastly improved, thanks to the work he's put in.
"Therapy's been a big game changer for me," he admitted. "I have a great therapist I can count on to talk to me, a couple of them, actually. And I have a crew of very close friends that I'm in. We always support each other." Carey went on to say that while he still had difficult days, he leaned on his support system for help.
In addition to the help he's received, Carey has also learned to stop being hard on himself. Instead of being self-critical, he's learned to keep himself in the right frame of mind. "Now I'm just like, 'Oh, okay. This will work out.'"