In the early days, for me, I had to not drink. Simple as that. It was hard. I came here, I busied myself, came here, worked... you may want to consider that detox though; it sounds like you may need it.
As for the work drinking culture, I had/have that, also. But what I’ve come to see is that it’s not work drinking culture, it’s me. Sure, a few people commented that I wasn’t drinking at some of our events. But I’ve realized that’s just because I always drank. I was one of those people.
What’s happened in two years of not drinking is that I’m much better at my actual job, and that’s not going unnoticed now.
Unless you’re a wine taster or something, or have an unreasonable oppressive alcoholic employer, you’ll probably find something similar... if you work your plan. Keep it simple. Do your job. Don’t drink. Work your plan. Absolutely nothing else matters.
I was asked to meet Our big boss after a meeting recently, at the hotel bar. I was nervous, knowing it was probably an important conversation, and because I knew he’d be drinking and I’d likely have to explain I wasn’t. I was correct. I got there ten minutes early, scouted a table, and got my soda water. When he arrived, he asked what I was drinking and made a face when I said “soda water”. After about five seconds I realized that the face he made was a mental calculation of what he’d be paying, because he wanted to buy me a drink. He wanted to buy me a drink because he was offering me a promotion. In normie world, that’s what people do. He was treating me like a normie because I’ve become an effective employee.
It’s weird to think now that I was worried about not drinking at work events. The effects of my problem ending made so much more of a splash in the long run.