I'm going to jump in here and say be kind to yourself. Alcoholism is a disease you have and you are beginning to deal with it and that's great.
I would suggest you stop worrying about what your friends/family think about you drinking or not drinking. You know you have to stop drinking. For me, my recovery was a very personal journey. It was something I did for me. You do not owe anyone an explanation as to what you are drinking or why and it's rude for them to question you about it.
I had to make some big changes in my life in early recovery and many of us do. It's so much more than stopping drinking. Birthday parties are not always in bars and people don't always drink when bowling. Our perception is that alcohol is everywhere but it's not. You just need to look in different places.
You can do this and we're here for you.
