how to approach a social life after a host change?

the (previous?) host was the most present and in charge of things for 20+ years. he would usually make friends regardless of system stuff, because he found it possible to just hide it if the other person doesn’t understand the topic.

now for the first time things changed and i’m the one constantly fronting, which is fine and safer for us in the moment but i’m horrifically lonely.

i act and look very differently.

my options:

1. sell it to everyone as a “rebranding” “new era” or similar. approach everyone pretending i’m still the same person. that’s what i have been doing, but it feels incredibly hollow. no one really knows me.

2. talk to people online. this is good but living where i live i don’t have a chance of ever meeting the majority of them irl, and i crave real conversations and actual relationships.

3. tell people irl just how it is. not sure how to go about it because even hinting it to a person we know left me on read for months now.

any other ideas or your experiences?