By james art 
When Melissa Gilbert was a child actor participating in the “small house in the prairie”, she had no idea why certain sounds challenged her so much. She now has a name for the condition she has experienced for decades, and hopes to raise awareness so that others can receive the help they need.
In a new interview with People 6, a 60-year-old woman revealed her diagnosis with a misophony, a condition that has affected many aspects of her life, and shared details of the treatment she has received to deal with her symptoms.
Below, learn more about the diagnosis of Gilbert’s misophony and other health conditions she has been talking about in recent years.
What is misophony?
According to The Cleveland Clinic, misophony is a disorder characterized by “reduced tolerance to specific sounds and things you can feel related to them.”
Mesophonia is not officially recognized as a “separate disorder”, but is widely recognized by experts.
“There is already an official consensus definition of research purposes and for diagnosis and treatment,” writes The Cleveland Clinic.
According to the Center for Mesophonia and Adjusting Duke’s Emotions, people with this condition experience “unpleasant physiological, emotional, cognitive and behavioral reactions to repetitive triggies, usually (but not always) oral or nasal sounds made by others.”
What are some of the symptoms of misophony?
According to The Cleveland Clinic, the misophony is characterized by the way someone responds to triggering sounds.
“All reactions seem to fall under the natural instincts” Fight or Run, “the website said.
People with misophony can have an emotional reaction and quickly get angry, worry, disgust, fear or annoy. Others may exhibit “self -defense processes” and bodily reactions, ranging from high blood pressure and heart rate to tightness in the chest, sweating and shaking.
“The severity of the symptoms can also vary. When the symptoms are less severe, emotional and bodily reactions can be anything you experience. If the symptoms are more severe, the effects may be so strong that you may also have a behavioral reaction, “the website says.
What can cause misophony?
The Boston Children’s Hospital describes the condition as “neurophysiological disorder”.
Although no accurate cause has been established, the following factors can contribute to the diagnosis of misophony according to the clinic in Cleveland:
According to The Cleveland Clinic, misophony can affect every fifth person and can develop at any age. People often develop it as teenagers and is most common in women.
What did Melissa Gilbert say about her diagnosis?
Gilbert told People that she first began to experience the symptoms of misophony when she was on the set, shooting scenes in the classroom for a small house in the prairie.
“If one of the kids chewed gum or eating, or knocking on her nails on the table, I would very much like to escape,” she said. “I was red from beets and my eyes were filling with tears and I would just sit there, feeling absolutely unhappy and terribly guilty that I felt so hateful of all these people – the people I loved.”
The star described this period of time as “a really gloomy and difficult part of my childhood” and said she was often wondering if she was the problem.
“I really thought I was rude. And I felt very bad. And guilt, which is a huge component of misophony, the guilt you experience about these feelings of battle or escape. It’s a really isolation disorder, “she said.
She faced new challenges with her adult condition
As an adult, Gilbert was tasked with managing her activations while raising her children.
“I had a signal with a hand I would make, turning my hand into a doll and I would make it look as if it were chewing, then I would close it with a click – when I close my mouth,” she said. “My poor children spent their entire childhood, growing up with me, doing so. They were not allowed to have chewing gum.
When she suffered menopause, Gilbert said she was “more sensitive” while reacting to sounds.
“When the estrogen expires, the anger sucked in, and that started to really affect my loved ones on a daily basis,” she said.
She “sobbing” when learning what misophonia is
When Gilbert first heard about misophony, she said that “sobs” after realizing that “there is a name and I am not just a bad person.”
In 2023, Gilbert came across the Duke Mesophone Center and contacted the team to seek help. At that time, she had not realized that her condition could actually be treated. Gilbert then went through 16 weeks “intensive” cognitive-behavioral therapy.
“I realized that I could overcome these waves, but they would not disappear. They never go away. But now I have all these tools that allow me to feel more comfortable and less triggered. It made me feel controlled, “she said.
Through the treatment, Gilbert began to notice that he was bent his legs when she began to feel stressed by one of her triggers.
“So as soon as I started to feel it, I relax my legs,” she said. “And after I have control over my feet for some reason, I can do everything else.”
Gilbert noted that her treatment “changed my life” and said that she even gave her children packs of chewing gum last Christmas to chew in front of her to show how far she went.
She underwent a “life -changing” neck operation in 2020
In 2010, Gilbert broke her back. Having struggled with various spine problems for a decade, she underwent her procedure – her fourth – in November 2020. During the neck surgery, doctors removed old implants, repaired a failed fusion and set a new disc.
In an Instagram post after the operation, Gilbert said it was a “life -changing experience”. In the coming days, the star shared additional updates on her recovery and said that surgeons were able to shave the bone spikes that cause her right hand to tingle.
Gilbert had a case of cellulite in 2023
In 2023, Gilbert found herself in the emergency room after a bite of a bug left her hand “incredibly swollen, red and hot.” She went to the hospital several studies and was diagnosed with abscess and cellulite.
According to Mayo Clinic, cellulite is “a common, potentially serious bacterial skin infection. The affected skin is swollen and inflamed and is usually painful and warm to the touch.”
The infection is most common in the lower legs, but can also occur on the face, arms and other areas.
“The infection occurs when the skin break allows bacteria to enter,” the website said. “Left untreated, the infection can spread to the lymph nodes and blood flow and quickly become life -threatening. Usually not spread from person to person. “
In her Instagram publication, Gilbert noted that “she started to improve immediately” after she started taking medication.
“The bug who takes the lesson is seriously biting! If it swells like crazy (my whole hand was swollen!), Don’t wait to be treated, thinking “It’s just a little bites. How bad can it happen? Go to your doctor or to the emergency room. In the days of #lauraingallswilder, this would mean death or amputation. So now I’m going to get my medication a good bunny I’m me, “she wrote.
This article was originally published on Today.com