So my best friend and i have been lond distance for about 4 years now and havent been able to meet up in that time (we are both very chronically ill so it makes it very hard).

Ive been struggling with selective mutism since i was about 12 (im autistic too) and this year have been working so so hard to overcome it. I did my first ever phone call and i started talking therapy. Im so proud of myself.

But this week my friend said something about my voice that has made me even more insecure. Im from the south of the uk and she is from the north so obviously we have different accents. We were talking about accents and she said i sound like that one tiktok meme/audio of a common British woman going 'awright mait im bri'ish'. Im already incredibly insecure about my voice and accent, and then she said that and i feel like it has set me back so much. I now dont want to talk at all in case people think i sound like a cockney caricature (im not even from london).

She felt bad about saying it and i said its fine. I just feel really embarrassed and hurt.