i’m 17 and have always had a deeper voice and people have made very rude comments about it and have just overall made me very self conscious of it. around family i talk normal but as soon as i’m with a family member and a stranger i’ll alter it completely and make my voice sound higher. my parents make me feel worse about it, they tell me when i do that i sound funny and stupid and will just make fun of me for doing that but it’s the only way i can talk to non family members without feeling judged. i have a boyfriend who i’ve been with for 3 years and he’s only heard my real voice once and that was with me talking to a friend who i’ve known for many years and even then i slightly altered it. i feel like because he’s never really heard my real voice our connection won’t truly be real but i can’t just stop altering it, when i have around him he told me i sound like a man and that it was hilarious. i guess he didn’t realize it was how i actually sound. how do i stop this? i’m scared to use my real voice and i don’t know if i even can stop now since it’s been so long.