Known for playing Laura Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie , Melissa Gilbert opened up to People magazine about the well-known mental disorder that has affected her since childhood.
Chewing, sniffing, noisy or wheezing breathing… These repetitive noises cause real suffering for some people, including Melissa Gilbert. In an interview with People on Tuesday, August 20 , the Little House on the Prairie star opened up about her childhood illness: misophonia. The 60-year-old actress revealed that filming the famous television series could turn into a real nightmare because of this disorder: “If one of the kids chewed gum, ate, or tapped their nails on the table, I just wanted to run away. ” The actress who played Laura Ingalls confided that it was a ” really dark and difficult period of my childhood “: ” I would turn as red as a beet, my eyes would fill with tears, and I would just sit there feeling absolutely miserable and horribly guilty for feeling so hateful toward all these people—people I loved. “
For years, the actress was unaware that she suffered from a genuine neurological disability. ” I sobbed when I discovered that this condition had a name and that I wasn’t simply a bad person. I genuinely thought I was rude. And I felt guilty. Which is a component of misophonia, the guilt you feel for those fight-or-flight feelings. It’s a disorder that really isolates you. “
Melissa Gilbert: her tips for overcoming misophonia
Because of misophonia, Melissa Gilbert’s daily life had become unbearable. Until the day the actress discovered a center to treat the disorder. With the help of the center’s director, the partner of American producer Timothy Busfield managed to overcome her condition thanks to cognitive behavioral therapy. ” As soon as I feel it coming on, I relax my feet. Once I have control of my feet, for one reason or another, I can do everything else. ” And thanks to the many weeks of therapy, ” everyone around me doesn’t have to walk on eggshells anymore. It’s changed my whole life. “
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