Alcohol might be your Plan A when it’s time to cope with life’s grueling pressures, stressors, and setbacks. But when you make the choice to enter inpatient treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) in Wisconsin, you may need a Plan B to help you cope with withdrawal symptoms.
From shakes and sweats to sleepless nights and racing thoughts, every hour in supervised detox can feel unending. Your body may buck against the absence of alcohol, and treatment may seem like an impossibility. What may help you turn things around is the knowledge that new medicines are on the horizon.
Whether you live near Waukesha or Middleton, Miramont Behavioral Health Hospital offers care that blends hope from new science with real, human support to help you take back control and move toward a substance-free life.
New Medicinal Innovations in the Fight Against AUD
Scientists continue to study medications that could make cutting back or stopping alcohol feel more manageable. While the following drugs aren’t yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they may be able to help you see how alcohol changes the brain and how new treatment innovations can help people break free.
Each medicine below points to the same idea: alcohol use disorder responds to care, support, and science, not shame.
Varenicline
This medication already helps some people put down cigarettes for good. In recent studies, people who took it often felt fewer urges to drink and ended up drinking less overall. Researchers think it may gently quiet brain pathways that play a role in cravings.
Gabapentin
Doctors often prescribe gabapentin for nerve pain or seizures, but research suggests it may also help with AUD. People in studies were more likely to avoid heavy drinking and stay on track with their goals when they took it. It may also help with sleep and anxiety, which can feel overwhelming early on in the detox process.
Topiramate
This medication affects brain systems tied to excitement and calm. Research suggests it may help you reduce your alcohol intake by making alcohol less appealing to your brain by turning down the mental noise that may have pulled you toward another drink.
Ondansetron
This medication usually treats nausea, but studies show it may help some people drink less, especially those who started drinking heavily earlier in life. It seems to work best for certain people based on how their brains handle serotonin. By shifting that balance, it may lower urges.
Nalmefene
Approved in parts of Europe, this medication has helped people cut back on heavy drinking days. Large studies found that people who used it drank less overall. While it isn’t available in the U.S. yet, it adds momentum to medical treatment for AUD.
Baclofen
Doctors use baclofen for muscle tightness, but research suggests it may help some people stay substance-free. It appears especially helpful for individuals with liver concerns. Researchers think it may help calm anxiety and reduce cravings.
All of this research sends a clear message. AUD doesn’t reflect a personal failure. It reflects how the brain adapts over time, and science keeps working toward better ways to help it heal.
The Tried-and-True Therapies and Medicine in Wisconsin
Of course, the medications we discussed offer hope for the future, but there are still many proven treatments that already help people make real changes today, and we offer them at Miramont. These approaches typically focus on understanding habits, building coping skills, and creating a support system that uplifts you.
Let’s start with clinically proven therapies that give you tools you can use in real life, not rules you have to follow.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy. CBT helps you notice the connection between certain thoughts that lead to specific feelings that make you want to drink. The idea is that you learn how certain emotions or situations trigger urges. Over time, you practice anticipating, detecting, and responding in different, healthier ways.
- Motivational enhancement therapy. The gist of MET is short-term in nature and focuses on helping you connect with your own reasons for change. Instead of applying pressure, it lends a hand in building confidence and a realistic plan to lead an alcohol-free life.
- Mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches. These therapies help you notice urges without immediately reacting to them, which can be incredibly empowering, especially when you first start your recovery journey. Essentially, you learn how to tolerate discomfort until it passes, rather than immediately escaping from it with alcohol.
- Couples and family counseling. AUD typically isn’t experienced in isolation. It affects relationships and communities, not just individuals. Family-focused therapy can improve communication and rebuild the trust that AUD destroys.
Alongside therapy, Miramont can also help you manage prescribed, FDA-approved medications that already support many in the fight against AUD.
Naltrexone
This medication helps reduce the good feelings alcohol creates. You can take it as a daily pill or a monthly injection. You don’t need to stop drinking before starting it.
Acamprosate
This option supports people who want to stay substance-free after withdrawal. It helps ease anxiety and sleep trouble as the brain adjusts. People usually start it shortly after stopping alcohol.
Disulfiram
This medication causes uncomfortable reactions if you drink. It can help some people avoid alcohol by reinforcing their goals. Doctors typically only start it after a short alcohol-free period.
At Miramont, medication management works alongside individual therapy, family services, and inpatient care, so treatment is personalized, supportive, and most importantly: effective.
Win the Battle Against Alcohol Dependence With Miramont
AUD can wear you and your loved ones down to the bone, but the scientific and innovative energy behind treatment keeps growing. New medications continue to reshape how we understand the brain, while proven therapies already help people like you reclaim their lives from alcohol.
At Miramont Behavioral Health Hospital in Wisconsin, you’ll find care that blends science, compassion, and real human connection. Reaching out to the care team could help you take a steady first step toward feeling like yourself again.
