"Usually, when other people get angry, or snide, or express some other destructive emotion...it's not about me. My ego wants to make everything "about me.""
^^^^^TOTALLY!! I still struggle with my ego so much in this regard. The healthy people in my life are constantly reminding me "It's NOT always about YOU." But anytime someone around me has some kind of problem, I make it my problem by assuming it's about me and trying to fix it. Added to that is the fact that unhealthy people quickly pick up on my willingness to absorb other people's crap, and then proceed to actively use me as an emotional dumping ground. So it's really no wonder I have social anxiety and a tendency to avoid people. They exhaust me.
I really need to work the steps of Al Anon but my hyper-sensitivity and self criticism are even getting in the way there. My meeting is really large, and after it's over, everyone stands around chatting in cocktail party formation. This triggers my social anxiety BIG TIME. I know I need to hang around and get a sponsor, but I never do. I flee. Thank God for SR.