Melissa Gilbert underwent 16 weeks of "intense" therapy after being diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder

Melissa, 60, revealed she underwent four months of "intense" CBT sessions and it gave her the "tools" to cope with her condition. She told PEOPLE: "This is an emotional issue. It's about self-regulation and self-control.

"[With therapy] I realised 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."

Melissa explained tiny noises such as nails tapping on wood or chewing gum caused her to have emotional outbursts but she is now able to control her triggers.

The first sign Melissa feels stressed is when she clenches her toes so she has learned to relax her feet whenever she feels overwhelmed.

She added: Everyone around me doesn't have to walk on eggshells [anymore] ... It's changed my whole life."

The 'Diary of Anne Frank' actress - who is now married to Timothy Busfield but has son Dakota, 35, with her first husband Bo Brinkman and 28-year-old Michael with her second husband Bruce Boxleitner - banned her children from making noises such as chewing gum when they were growing up.

However, after therapy she felt so confident about being able to manage her reactions that she bought her kids packets of gum as special Christmas presents.

She added: " My poor kids spent their whole childhoods growing up with me doing this. They weren't allowed to have gum!"