I've got good news on two fronts here.
Yes, you will get over the withdrawals IF you abstain from alcohol. You may eventually suffer from some sort of PAWS a few months into sobriety, but it will be nothing like the immediate effects of alcohol detoxification.
And yes, those social functions which previously revolved around alcohol can be enjoyed sans alcohol. I, too, was skeptical at first, trust me. I found that after attending these types of functions sober a few times, it made me realize that booze never really added much "fun" in the first place, and it was nice being able to actually ENJOY and REMEMBER the event at all. It was a mental connection that needed to be broken, and after that booze began to lose its mystical & magical properties.