Strangled Voices: A Memoir Paperback – December 16, 2025

The medical memoir, STRANGLED VOICES, is the true story of Ed Moore's tragic diagnosis of Spasmodic Dysphonia, a permanent and disabling neurological voice disorder deemed to be permanent by the medical community.STRANGLED VOICES will introduce readers to the strange malady known as Spasmodic Dysphonia or SD, where your own vocal cords spasm to the point of choking one speechless. Imagine an invisible set of fingers pinching your larynx/pharynx sporadically. Imagine your voice cutting out mid-sentence like a defective microphone. Imagine being unable to make yourself understood verbally. This was Mr. Moore and other patients' reality for years.The memoir is divided into three main parts, starting with Mr. Moore's initial distress and search for medical help when he developed this disorder in 2007, along with the reaction of his wife, who was helplessly and supportively along for the ride with him. When they discover the dismal diagnosis and treatment options presented, it’s enough to make them give up hope. The second part veers into their discovery of and subsequent therapy with a Dr. Morton Cooper, and the treatment called Direct Voice Rehabilitation. The final part of the book moves into how the treatment proceeded, alongside the medical community’s mindset regarding Spasmodic Dysphonia. The book concludes with Mr. Moore's short, but contentious trial with the State of California and his HMO for intentionally denying him the medical care that he desperately sought. The stakes were more than just seeking financial reimbursement for the so called "experimental” treatment. Mr. Moore was able to coherently testify at the trial using Dr. Cooper’s techniques, giving hope to many that SD is not a permanent voice disorder.This book will resonate with those who are diagnosed with certain voice disorders, help their family, and loved ones understand their frustration, and aid in navigating the path through today’s conflicting medical paradigms on how to recognize, cope and manage this baffling challenge. Read more