hello again,
i can totally relate to what you are saying. i hate crowds, can't breathe, feel like all the oxygen has been sucked up - so in the past i would make the fatal mistake of drinking - to try to relax or fit in - only make a bad situation worse. much worse. you went to support your friend and that's a good thing. sometimes i feel like getting a tattoo on my forehead that says, "it's me, not you" or "medicated for your protection". I think we are all a bunch of "loners" because we are so sensitive - to criticism or judgement, some of us can suck it up and be social, others (like me) don't stray too far from home. don't beat yourself up.