I agree with Stevie. Some folks have gotten sober "on their own" but I was never able to stop the binge drinking that way, even with private counseling. I got better only when I had the help of a group. It happened to be AA but I doubt that it has to be AA if some other type of group support is more congenial to the particular person. In view of the the tremendous harm done by this illness and the horrible risks of failure, my personal view is that some sort of group support is less risky. This can be supplemented by the help of a counselor or friend, such as an AA sponsor, although it need not be the latter if there is someone else who is skillful, experienced and well informed.
W.