Nick Cannon Reveals Narcissistic Personality Disorder Diagnosis (Exclusive)

Nick Cannon opens up about his mental health journey.

Earlier this month the Masked singer The 44-year-old host shared that he had been diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder. For the star, speaking openly about his problems is part of his daily coping.

“I still don’t fully understand it, but I’ve always wanted to get tested for it. I did a series of tests,” Cannon told PEOPLE exclusively on Wednesday, November 27, while serving meals at the Los Angeles mission’s Thanksgiving celebration.

“I was diagnosed with ADHD. It was dyslexia when I was a kid, but just knowing that I was just a neurodivergent person, I always knew,” he adds.

Now Cannon says he’s accepting his recent diagnosis and using it as a tool to better himself.

“I feel like there are so many labels out there, but it’s like you can embrace it and say, ‘Look, I’m on the road to healing. I need help. Show me.’ “Mental health and therapy are just very important to me,” he says. “Being able to say that I am a role model for others, but also being healing during the self-process also works.”

Cannon first spoke about his diagnosis in one of his November 8 episodes Consulting culture Podcast. After telling Dr. After Cheyenne Bryant, a doctor of psychology, confirmed that he had been “clinically diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder,” Cannon explained that he identifies with almost all of the “markers” for the disorder.

“I have taken all the power away from the term narcissism because I have researched it and I understand it,” Cannon said in the episode. “Call me whatever you want… If I didn’t know what it was now, then I’d have a problem with it.”

Cannon, who has welcomed 12 children since 2011, also told PEOPLE how he spends time with all of his children during the holidays.

“It’s very complicated. I’m a busy man on Thanksgiving,” he says of visiting multiple homes over the holiday. “I’ll be full at the end of the day, but everyone specializes in certain things, you know what I mean? Some people have good sweet potato pie, some people have fantastic roast turkey. So I know every house that needs something to have the things that I really like.

The star will also be “all over” in December – and hopes to spend time with his children in the snow. “Everywhere from Aspen to Santa’s Village, all those things,” he says. “All children want to go to the snow. So a little bit of East Coast, a little bit of Aspen, a little bit of Big Bear.”