When Melissa Gilbert was a child actor starring in “Little House on the Prairie,” she had no idea why certain sounds triggered her so much. Now, she has a name for the condition she’s experienced for decades and she’s hoping to raise awareness so others can get the help they need. In a new interview with , the 60-year-old opened up about her diagnosis with misophonia, a condition that has affected many aspects of her life, and shared details about the treatment she's received to address her symptoms.
Below, learn more about Gilbert's misophonia diagnosis and the other health conditions she's spoken about in recent years. Per , misophonia is a disorder that's characterized by "a decreased tolerance to specific sounds and things you can sense related to them." Misophonia isn't officially recognized as a "distinct disorder," but is widely recognized by experts.
"There’s now a formal consensus definition for research purposes, and for diagnosing and treating it," The Cleveland Clinic writes. Per the , people with the condition experience "unpleasant physiological, emotional, cognitive and behavioral responses to repetitive triggers, commonly (but not always) oral or nasal sounds made by others." According to The Cleveland Clinic, misophonia is characterized by the way someone reacts to trigger sounds.
“The reactions all seem to fall under the natural 'fight-or-flight' instincts,” the website reads. Those with misophonia can have an emotional reaction and become angry, anxious, disgusted, fearful or irritated quickly. Others may exhibit “self-protective processes” and bodily reactions ranging from increased blood pressure and heart rate to chest tightness, sweating and goosebumps.
“The severity of the symptoms can also vary. When the symptoms are less severe, the emotional and body reactions may be all you experience. If symptoms are more severe, the effects may be so strong that you might also have a behavioral reaction,” the website reads.
describes the condition as a “neurophysiological disorder." While no exact cause has been identified, the following factors can contribute to a misophonia diagnosis, per The Cleveland Clinic: Per The Cleveland Clinic, misophonia can affect one in five people and can develop at any age. People often develop it as a teenager and it’s most common in women.
Gilbert told People she first started experiencing the symptoms of misophonia when she was on set filming classroom scenes for “Little House on the Prairie.” “If any of the kids chewed gum or ate or tapped their fingernails on the table, I would want to run away so badly,” she said. “I would turn beet red and my eyes would fill up with tears and I’d just sit there feeling absolutely miserable and horribly guilty for feeling so hateful towards all these people — people I loved.
” The star described this period of time as “a really dark and difficult part of my childhood” and said she often wondered if she was the problem. “I really just thought that I was rude. And I felt really bad.
And guilty, which is an enormous component of misophonia, the guilt that you feel for these feelings of fight or flight. It’s a really isolating disorder," she said. As an adult, Gilbert was tasked with navigating her triggers while raising her children.
“I had a hand signal that I would give, making my hand into a puppet and I’d make it look like it was chewing and then I’d snap it shut — like shut your mouth!” she said. “My poor kids spent their whole childhoods growing up with me doing this. They weren’t allowed to have gum.
” When she underwent menopause, Gilbert said she "was more touchy" while reacting to sounds. “As the estrogen leaked out, the anger seeped in and it started to really affect me on a daily basis with loved ones," she said. When Gilbert first heard about misophonia, she said she "sobbed" after realizing that "it had a name and I wasn't just a bad person.
" In 2023, Gilbert came across Duke’s Center for Misophonia and contacted the team to ask for help. At the time, she hadn’t realized her condition could actually be treated. Gilbert then went through 16 weeks of “intensive” cognitive behavioral therapy.
“I realized I could ride out these waves but that they’re not going to go away. They never go away. But now I have all these tools to enable me to be more comfortable and less triggered.
It made me feel in control,” she said. Through treatment, Gilbert has started to notice that she clenches her feet when she’s starting to feel stressed by one of her triggers. “So as soon as I start to feel it coming, I relax my feet,” she said.
“And once I have control over my feet for some reason, I can do everything else.” Gilbert noted that her treatment has “changed my life” and said she even gave her children packs of gum last Christmas to chew in front of her to show how far she’s come. In 2010, Gilbert broke her back.
After contending with a variety of spinal issues for a decade, she underwent procedure — her fourth — in November 2020. During , doctors removed old implants, repaired a failed fusion and installed a new disc. In an after the surgery, Gilbert said it was "a life altering experience.
" In the days that followed, the star shared additional updates on her recovery and said surgeons were able to shave off bone spurs that caused numbness in her right hand. In 2023, Gilbert after a bug bite left her arm "incredibly swollen, red and hot." In the hospital, she underwent several tests and was diagnosed with an abscess and cellulitis.
Per the cellulitis is a "common, potentially serious bacterial skin infection. The affected skin is swollen and inflamed and is typically painful and warm to the touch." The infection is most common in the lower legs but can also show up on the face, arms and other areas.
"The infection happens when a break in the skin allows bacteria to enter," the website reads. "Left untreated, the infection can spread to the lymph nodes and bloodstream and rapidly become life-threatening. It isn’t usually spread from person to person.
" In her Instagram post, Gilbert noted that she "immediately started to get better" after starting medication. "The lesson-take bug bites seriously! If it swells up like crazy (my whole upper arm was swollen!) , don’t wait to get treated, thinking “it’s just a little bite. How bad can it get?” go to your dr or urgent care or the ER.
I’m serious! Back in the days of #lauraingallswilder , this would’ve meant death or amputation. There’s treatment available. So now I’m going to take my meds and rest like the good bunny I am," she wrote.
Chrissy Callahan covers a range of topics for TODAY.com, including fashion, beauty, pop culture and food. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, watching bad reality TV and consuming copious amounts of cookie dough.
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