If you take the alcohol out of an alcoholic you are left with the -ic (ick). Unless they have a program to clean up the ick in their lives they will be back to drinking in short order.
This is why AA has the success rate that it does. It gives people a way to clean up the ick in their lives and so remove the psychological dependence once the physical dependence has been relieved.
"Ceterum censeo 0bama esse delendam."
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
AA is valuable for those it helps but it is NOT necessary.
Once you get past stage one, removing the worst of the cravings, try to eat super clean and full and healthy. Forget weight loss and calories, and eat good food. Not many sweets, just lots of your favorite meats, fish, etc, vegetables with fat, fruits, potatoes, etc. add sources of resistant starch for your gut bugs. When they are happy, they make your brain happy. Eat well and be satisfied. Fill the body with good food and never forget the gut bugs. Good ideas for how to make gut bugs happy can be found at www.vegetablepharm.com .
Definitely psychological help is great for the “alcoholic personality” part of your addiction, but you have to go into groups or shrinks with a very introspective yet open mood. Sometimes you don’t want that. Definitely tell your closest friends what you are doing and how you need their help and support. Your drinking friends will NOT give as much support because they will “resemble themselves” and it will be up to you to decide to forgive them as they are in the same alcohol trap you were once in. But these days, many people will be very supportive.