Whatever is going on, it will take a lot of self knowledge, self awareness, and self control to figure it out and deal with it. In my opinion, meditation is a very effective solution, provided you devote yourself to the practice every day. Vipassana ("insight" meditation) is particularly well suited, in fact its defined by becoming more personally aware.
A quick tip: when in conversation, really try to cultivate a feeling of genuine curiosity and empathy for others. Ask about what's going on, and relate and paraphrase, so you're sure you understand what's being said on all levels. People like talking about themselves, as you seem to know all too well
. So use that knowledge to your advantage. Conversations feel most natural when both parties contribute about 50%.