‘Little House On The Prairie’ Star Melissa Gilbert Reveals Traumatic Childhood
Little House on the Prairie was a family-friendly staple of the 1970s and 80s. But for some of the stars, filming could be an absolute nightmare.
In a new interview, Melissa Gilbert opened up about her mental health while being one of the most iconic child stars of the era.
Little House Star Melissa Gilbert Struggled With A Neurological Disorder On Set
Everyone has their share of sounds that irritate them. But for former child star Melissa Gilbert, some everyday sounds would completely debilitate her. Examples included chewing, clicking nails, and even clapping.
“If any of the kids chewed gum or ate or tapped their fingernails on the table, I would want to run away so badly,” the 60-year-old shared in a new interview with PEOPLE. “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.”
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Gilbert added that it was a very dark chapter in her childhood. However, it wasn’t just in her head. The Little House on the Prairie star later found out it was a real condition and others struggled with it too.
Her intense reaction to the sounds was due to misophonia, a neurological condition. Misophonia can create incredibly angry feelings in a person, and even trigger their fight or flight response.
“I sobbed when I found out that it had a name and I wasn’t just a bad person,” Melissa Gilbert shared. Today, she’s doing everything in her power to spread awareness about the disease. The actress teamed up with the Duke Center for Misophonia and Emotional Regulation to tackle it.
“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,” the Little House actress added.
Melissa Gilbert Feels More In Control Of Her Situation Through Therapy
Although dealing with misophonia will always be a battle for Melissa Gilbert, she’s incredibly thankful to have treatment options available.
“This is an emotional issue. It’s about self-regulation and self-control,” the former child star shared about her treatment. “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.”
Over the past year, the Little House actress confirmed she has much better relationships with her loved ones.
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