Kimberly Williams-Paisley is speaking out about her experience of losing her voice.

The actress, known for “The 10th Kingdom,” shared with People her struggle during a two-year period when she couldn’t speak. She described feeling “trapped in my own body” after losing her voice in 2022, later diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia.

“I had to fight to make myself heard,” she told People. “Now, regardless of my physical voice, my inner voice is stronger. I feel more assured and have a deeper understanding of myself.”

During this tough time, the “Father of the Bride” star relied heavily on her husband Brad Paisley and their two sons, Huck, 17, and Jasper, 15, for emotional support.

In November 2022, Kimberly and her sister, actress Ashley Williams, were preparing for their annual Alzheimer’s awareness fundraiser, Dance Party to End ALZ, which is dedicated to their mother who passed away in 2016 due to dementia.

Williams-Paisley recounted a particularly frightening moment when she put “the mic to my mouth, and nothing came out.”

This led her to sometimes isolate from friends, declining acting offers and experiencing severe “shame” because she felt “invisible.” Initially, she believed that “hot tea and vocal rest” would fix her voice.

“I started blaming myself,” Williams-Paisley reflected, recalling the premiere of Netflix’s “Dog Gone” last year. The noise at the red carpet event made it challenging to conduct interviews.

She added: “I sounded weak, which contrasted with how I felt. I went to the restroom and cried, while a few friends held my hand.” Losing her voice left her in a state of sadness, saying there were “days I didn’t want to engage in anything, days I felt extremely fatigued, and nights filled with anxious thoughts. I wouldn’t say it was clinical depression, but I was definitely sad.”

What is muscle tension dysphonia?

Early last year, she sought help at the Vanderbilt Voice Center, where she was diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia. This condition occurs when “the muscles in my neck tense up, causing my vocal cords to collide,” the actress explained.

Johns Hopkins University describes muscle tension dysphonia as “a modification in your voice’s sound or sensations due to excessive muscle tightness around the voice box.”

“There were days I just wept and mourned,” Williams-Paisley said. As she feared her voice might not return, she “began finding alternative ways to express myself,” including writing two screenplays.

In August, she revisited the center and had a medialization laryngoplasty. Following the procedure, her voice returned, which she found hard to believe.

Now, she shares that her voice is “much improved.”

“I still can’t yell across the street. And by the end of a long talking day, I may sound a bit hoarse, but I think that’s appealing. I’ve learned that when I speak softly, people tend to pay closer attention, which isn’t bad either.”

This story has been updated with new information.