Hi Jackfrost,
Welcome!
Stopping drinking is the first step, but it's what comes after that, that is really hard. For me, recovery meant changing from the inside out.
I shook myself loose from my past beliefs about myself and began to rebuild and move forward. I stayed away from people and places where alcohol was being served. It was way too stressful for me. It took a long time before I was able to do that.
I decided that telling the truth was going to be a big part of my recovery, so I didn't make up stories about why I wasn't drinking. Nor did I offer an explanation when people asked why I wasn't drinking. It's my business and I owe no one else an explanation.
I'm still kind of shy in groups of people and that's fine with me now. It's a part of me that I have accepted, and it's far better than the me who would drink to fit into social situations.