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If there aren’t faculty with compatible research interests, why are you applying to that program? The match doesn’t have to be exact, but you will need to put together a committee who can mentor you through the dissertation process and evaluate the final product.
In terms of how specific - I think the more specific you can be, the better. I found it helpful to create a “funneled” statement that started broad and got specific. 
BROAD: I’m interested in understanding how stigma or social disadvantage affects access to health care,
LESS BROAD: particularly in terms of how patients seek out health resources, how providers offer health resources, and how patients and providers communicate.
SPECIFIC: Specifically, I am interested in how these issues affect access to birth control and abortion care.
I also included a final paragraph about where I want my career to go where I talked about a couple of specific research questions or goals I would like to pursue. The committee wants to see a sense of direction because it says you’ve really thought about this.

My masters' program involved alumni in these types of activities through an alumni mentoring program. We were matched based on interest, and alumni mentors often served on thesis committees, reviewed job hunt materials, and facilitated professional connections. You can formalize these roles without making them faculty appointments.
The same masters program had a lot of kids from well-off families. I had assumed everyone was going to be taking out loans and working multiple jobs to afford school. Turned out that a lot of students were paying for school and living expenses through educational trusts. (Until this point, I honestly thought trust funds were the kind of thing you only say in movies and celebrity magazines.) Students with those resources were able to take advantage of opportunities I couldn't. They could work unpaid internships or volunteer as a research assistant. They didn't have to compete for funding to collect thesis data. After school, they didn't have to consider student debt when job hunting and could take fellowships that didn't pay well or had limited benefits. I worked two paid research jobs plus a few shifts a week in a sandwich shop and still came out with six figures of debt.
Academia has enough problems with diversity. An unpaid faculty appointment is something that you can only accept if you're already well off making it one more barrier for people from diverse backgrounds.

Georgetown is pricy. I paid around $1500 (utilities included) to live by myself in Glover Park, which is just north of Georgetown. You’ll be able to save a bit with housemates. The rental market in DC turns over quickly, with most units posted less than 30 days before they’re filled. That being said, you can start looking at Craigslist now to get a sense of what you want and can afford.

@Neuromantic - I’m also in the depression/anxiety boat and have found it super helpful to disclose the issue at work since it makes it possible to get the kind of support I need. That being said, I was repeatedly cautioned against disclosing in my applications because departments can see students with mental health issues as a risk. I ended up not mentioning the issue in my SOP but did talk about it during interviews. When I did disclose, I focused on talking about my determination, resilience, and coping skills and how those would translate into a PhD program. I also talked about how I was committed to staying in therapy/on meds during my program since I know it can be stressful and those are important elements in keeping me stable. This approach seemed to work well for me, as I was accepted at 5 of 6 schools I applied to, 4 of which were funded and 3 of which included competitive fellowships.

Sorry for the late reply on this. Another thing you might consider doing is to trade letters with a friend who is also applying so that your drafts have an obviously different "voice". (In other words, you write one of their drafts, and they write one of yours.) I've done this a couple of times with good results.

Don't spend that kind of money on a class. I was accepted to 2 sociology PhD programs with a BA in religious studies and a masters of public health (plus 3 years of work experience as a research associate). I'd never taken a sociology class before. Economics to sociology is a reasonable path, particularly if you do a good job of selecting schools and POIs.
For your letters, are you relying only on letters from undergrad? If your work involves research, I would encourage you to get at least one of your letters from senior staff at your job. The goal of a grad school recommendation letter is to have someone speak to your potential as a graduate student - can you persevere, communicate well, think critically and creatively, etc? Someone who has an advanced degree and works in research will be able to do this as well as a professor would, possibly even better since they will have likely had more opportunities to work closely with you in a broader variety of settings. I got one letter from a grad school professor and two letters from people I worked with who had PhDs and had supervised my work.

I interviewed several places last year, but I think UCSF was the only sociology program that interviewed. (Other programs were public health/health services research.)
Be prepared to talk about your research interests and how they developed. Be prepared to talk about one or two specific ideas you might propose for a dissertation. (They don’t have to be well developed, and no one will hold you to them. You just need to show you’ve thought about it.) Be prepared to talk about your previous training and experience with quant and/or qual methods and which you prefer. Be prepared to talk a little about your previous experience with theory and how it’s shaped your work. Be prepared to talk about why you want a PhD and what you’ll do with it. Don’t be afraid to think on your feet and toss out ideas. Not everything has to be perfectly thought through. They want to see how you think and respond in real time.
If they tell you who you’re interviewing with in advance, it’s a good idea to read their bio and skim a few papers so you can talk about how your work intersects. It’s also good to be able to talk about who you hope to work with in the department. If you’ve been in touch with them, say so! While you probably have a particular POI, it’s also good to be able to talk about how you fit into the department more broadly. You won’t just have one mentor or work with just one professor while you’re in school. Something like, “I’m hoping to primarily work with X because of their interest in A, B, and C, but I also think I’ll benefit from Y’s experience with [method or topic] and the department’s overall strength in [method or topic]/connections with the D center/interdisciplinary focus on E.”
Finally, remember that an interview is a dialogue. It should give you a better sense of the department’s culture and how you would fit in there as well as giving them a better sense of who you are as a candidate. You will ideally already know a lot of the basics about the department and their process by the time you interview, but definitely have some questions ready to ask them: funding, qualifying exams, time to completion, opportunities to work with other departments if relevant to your interests, etc. Go into interviews thinking, “If I got into every school I applied to, what would I need to know to make my decision?”

I'm sorry you're having such a rough time. During orientation, my school talked a bit about how hard the adjustment to grad school can be and compared it to culture shock. I've been finding it helpful to remind myself that it will get better if I keep at it!
I suspect that your cohort will bother you less as you spend more time with them. Not, necessarily, because you'll learn to like everyone but because you'll start to find people you get along well with and won't care as much about the students you aren't close to. You'll get a sense of whose feedback is meaningful on what topics and who you can ignore. Grad students feel a lot of pressure to perform well and stand out from the crowd, and some people try to do that by talking too much about themselves or by being overcritical of others. 
While you're waiting to get a sense of your cohort mates (who you can trust, etc), focus on your professor's feedback. If there are comments from students that particularly worry you, go to office hours and ask for her opinion on them. If you are having trouble with presenting, go to her office hours and ask if she has any suggestions about improving. You may find that your anxiety doesn't bleed through as much as you think it does! Also, talk with the other members of your group to make sure they feel you're contributing enough. If you're graded on that aspect, they're the ones your professor will ask for feedback.
In terms of your professors comments, I would echo Meraki. If they were directed at you, that was inappropriate. However, the advice is still valid. I'm not training as a therapist, but as a researcher, I have to be constantly considering my personal bias about my projects. Some of my professional work intersects with some of my personal baggage, and I know I have to be extra careful about that. This is even more relevant for someone training to be a therapist. If you aren't already seeing a therapist yourself, this might be a good time to establish that relationship. Based on some friends' experiences, it's not uncommon to require students to be in therapy while they do their practicum, anyway.
Final note on the presenting thing - One of my professors recommended Toast Masters as a way to get comfortable with public speaking. It's something that will probably continue to be an important part of your professional life, so it's worth investing some time now to build the skill!
Keep your chin up, and remember that it's a process! This will all feel so much more comfortable in a few months.

I think you want to ask yourself to questions: 1) Am I underestimating myself (and is it my own insecurity) and 2) Do I communicate to her I need more help?
An advisor cannot look into your head. And additionally, for them to be able to help, you have to be very clear on what you NEED from them. Just 'help' is too general for them to be helpful. Is it formulating a research question, analysis, outlining a paper (writing is too general), etc. Think about how you can communicate what you 'need' from them and open up about what you need. An advisor is as good as you being able to specify what you need 'advise' on - if it's not clear, they also won't be able to give you the help and support you need.

If there aren’t faculty with compatible research interests, why are you applying to that program? The match doesn’t have to be exact, but you will need to put together a committee who can mentor you through the dissertation process and evaluate the final product.
In terms of how specific - I think the more specific you can be, the better. I found it helpful to create a “funneled” statement that started broad and got specific. 
BROAD: I’m interested in understanding how stigma or social disadvantage affects access to health care,
LESS BROAD: particularly in terms of how patients seek out health resources, how providers offer health resources, and how patients and providers communicate.
SPECIFIC: Specifically, I am interested in how these issues affect access to birth control and abortion care.
I also included a final paragraph about where I want my career to go where I talked about a couple of specific research questions or goals I would like to pursue. The committee wants to see a sense of direction because it says you’ve really thought about this.

If there aren’t faculty with compatible research interests, why are you applying to that program? The match doesn’t have to be exact, but you will need to put together a committee who can mentor you through the dissertation process and evaluate the final product.
In terms of how specific - I think the more specific you can be, the better. I found it helpful to create a “funneled” statement that started broad and got specific. 
BROAD: I’m interested in understanding how stigma or social disadvantage affects access to health care,
LESS BROAD: particularly in terms of how patients seek out health resources, how providers offer health resources, and how patients and providers communicate.
SPECIFIC: Specifically, I am interested in how these issues affect access to birth control and abortion care.
I also included a final paragraph about where I want my career to go where I talked about a couple of specific research questions or goals I would like to pursue. The committee wants to see a sense of direction because it says you’ve really thought about this.

At least one person in my masters (MPH) cohort had a buzz cut, although she grew it out into a pixie before she started job hunting. I think it’s probably dependent on the department culture. If you have any connections with current students, you could always ask. Also, as someone with a disconnected undercut and fuschia highlights, I’ve found that I’m usually okay if I dress a little more formally than I might otherwise. So instead of jeans and a T-shirt, try jeans and a nice top, jeans and a button up, or jeans and a plain tee with a blazer. Make sure your clothes are clean and un wrinkled, etc.
A buzz cut may stand out more in Alabama, but on a college campus (or in a college town) you’re unlikely to be the only person with a funky haircut. If you’re worried about your safety, contact someone in student services and ask them if you’re likely to get harassed. They should have a good feel for the culture. If there is an office that deals specifically with LGBT issues, they’ll definitely know. (I realize you don’t mention your sexuality in your post, but gender non-conforming queer women and non binary people often have similar concerns so an office of LGBT life or similar may be more attuned to these issues and aware of previous problems.)

I would love to do something like this.

If there aren’t faculty with compatible research interests, why are you applying to that program? The match doesn’t have to be exact, but you will need to put together a committee who can mentor you through the dissertation process and evaluate the final product.
In terms of how specific - I think the more specific you can be, the better. I found it helpful to create a “funneled” statement that started broad and got specific. 
BROAD: I’m interested in understanding how stigma or social disadvantage affects access to health care,
LESS BROAD: particularly in terms of how patients seek out health resources, how providers offer health resources, and how patients and providers communicate.
SPECIFIC: Specifically, I am interested in how these issues affect access to birth control and abortion care.
I also included a final paragraph about where I want my career to go where I talked about a couple of specific research questions or goals I would like to pursue. The committee wants to see a sense of direction because it says you’ve really thought about this.

If there aren’t faculty with compatible research interests, why are you applying to that program? The match doesn’t have to be exact, but you will need to put together a committee who can mentor you through the dissertation process and evaluate the final product.
In terms of how specific - I think the more specific you can be, the better. I found it helpful to create a “funneled” statement that started broad and got specific. 
BROAD: I’m interested in understanding how stigma or social disadvantage affects access to health care,
LESS BROAD: particularly in terms of how patients seek out health resources, how providers offer health resources, and how patients and providers communicate.
SPECIFIC: Specifically, I am interested in how these issues affect access to birth control and abortion care.
I also included a final paragraph about where I want my career to go where I talked about a couple of specific research questions or goals I would like to pursue. The committee wants to see a sense of direction because it says you’ve really thought about this.

I echo @slouching. Find a therapist. Talk to your doctor about adjusting your meds and/or getting an “emergency” medication to take during panic attacks. Visit the disability office to talk about whether/what kind of accommodation you need.
I spent a lot of time feeling miserable and missing out on things during my masters program because I was too ashamed of my mental illness to get the help I needed. Don’t be like me! Work with professionals to set yourself up for success!
If you have a friend you can trust, ask them to help you get your appointments set up and maybe even to go with you. It can feel insurmountable, and it’s okay to need help.

I echo @slouching. Find a therapist. Talk to your doctor about adjusting your meds and/or getting an “emergency” medication to take during panic attacks. Visit the disability office to talk about whether/what kind of accommodation you need.
I spent a lot of time feeling miserable and missing out on things during my masters program because I was too ashamed of my mental illness to get the help I needed. Don’t be like me! Work with professionals to set yourself up for success!
If you have a friend you can trust, ask them to help you get your appointments set up and maybe even to go with you. It can feel insurmountable, and it’s okay to need help.

I'm sorry to hear that this transition has been difficult for you. 
If you are not doing so already, I would encourage you to speak with a professional about the issues you are facing. It seems like you would benefit from speaking with someone who is trained to help you manage your depression and anxiety, and who can help you sort out your feelings about the situation you're in. Exploring the counseling services within your university might be a good place to start.
 

1. What do you want to do?
2. Does program x place students into positions doing what you want to do?
3. Go to the program that does (2) most successfully
People so often forget that graduate school is a means to an end, not the end itself. Either prestige or reputation are only meaningful insofar as they help you get the outcome you want. Getting the world's most prestigious history degree won't help you if you want to be a physicist.

If there is someone in the organization with similar interests or an existing body of work on your topic, you might reach out to them. They could serve both as a mentor and as an entry point to the organization. Also, consider how your research benefits the organization. A lot of working with stakeholders is essentially salesmanship. You're asking them for a favor, so you have to show them how they will get some value out of their efforts on your behalf.

I applied to a mix of sociology and health services research programs because my research straddles the line. I wasn't actually interested in both departments at any of the same universities; In most cases, the faculty doing the research I was most interested in (i.e. most similar/helpful to my own interests) were concentrated in a single department. I found it really helpful to do a loosely structured review of the literature and choose my departments based on those initial findings. (It also helped later when people said, "Why didn't you apply to [highly ranked program]?" because I could just say that it didn't come up in my lit review.)
I was really worried about applying to such a diverse group of programs, but I could make a good argument for each of them in my SOP. The interview process and a review of the course catalog were the final deciders in my case. I ended up in a sociology program with a strong medical sociology focus and a lot of connections to health services research on campus. In retrospect, I'm glad that I focused less on the name of the department and more on the fit with my goals. Good luck!

I applied to a mix of sociology and health services research programs because my research straddles the line. I wasn't actually interested in both departments at any of the same universities; In most cases, the faculty doing the research I was most interested in (i.e. most similar/helpful to my own interests) were concentrated in a single department. I found it really helpful to do a loosely structured review of the literature and choose my departments based on those initial findings. (It also helped later when people said, "Why didn't you apply to [highly ranked program]?" because I could just say that it didn't come up in my lit review.)
I was really worried about applying to such a diverse group of programs, but I could make a good argument for each of them in my SOP. The interview process and a review of the course catalog were the final deciders in my case. I ended up in a sociology program with a strong medical sociology focus and a lot of connections to health services research on campus. In retrospect, I'm glad that I focused less on the name of the department and more on the fit with my goals. Good luck!

If you do send an email, maybe phrase it as wondering how space is typically handled rather than proposing a new system right away. I’ve always found that people are nicer when I acknowledge that I’m new and/or not sure what’s going on.

If you do send an email, maybe phrase it as wondering how space is typically handled rather than proposing a new system right away. I’ve always found that people are nicer when I acknowledge that I’m new and/or not sure what’s going on.

Since you have some time, I'd start looking now to get a sense of (a) what you like and (b) what you can afford. I used a Pinterest board to keep track of ideas. However, I would strongly recommend not buying things until you're actually in your space so you have a better sense of how things will fit. 
I've had a lot of success ordering things online that come flatpacked. Amazon, Walmart, Wayfair, etc often have affordable options and will deliver to your home for free/cheap. As a bonus, online options often have very specific measurements, so you can get a sense of how things fit. I also used an iPad app that allows you to plan rooms (kind of build a blue print and lets you customize furniture so you can see how things fit), which was super helpful because I'm SO BAD at spatial logic.
I would also say, don't feel like you have to move in, decorate, and get everything just perfect before classes start. Over my last couple of moves, I've found that I really have to be in a space for about 6 months before I really have a sense of what it "needs". Set it up as much as you can and then give it some time before you commit to all the final, homey touches so you end up with things that really work well for the space.
I'd also echo @a_sort_of_fractious_angel's recommendation about figuring out neighborhoods and rental patterns now. If you can make some visits to your new city, that would be particularly helpful. When I moved to DC, I signed a three month sublease and then spent weekends wondering around the city with the PadMapper app open to see what I liked and could afford.