Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Los Angeles

Our Dual Diagnosis Program

Maybe a drink is what quiets the panic before a meeting. Maybe pills are how you get through nights when old memories won’t let go. Or maybe you finished a program that worked on your drinking or drug use, but the depression underneath never got attention and pulled you back. Cliffside West Los Angeles provides dual diagnosis treatment in Los Angeles to adults whose substance use is bound up with their mental health, and we treat both at the same time.

Want to talk it over first? Call (877) 621-5810 confidentially, 24/7.

Helping Hundreds of Patients Find Long-Term Recovery

What Is Dual Diagnosis?

At Cliffside, dual diagnosis means living with a substance use disorder and a mental health condition at once. Clinicians call this co-occurring disorders, while most people searching for help know it as dual diagnosis. Both terms describe the same thing, and it’s very common. Each condition tends to feed the other, which is why treating just one so often falls short.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Los Angeles: Conditions We Treat

Each of these is treated alongside substance use. Here’s what they look like in plain terms:

Mood conditions, including depression and bipolar disorder. Long stretches of low mood, or swings between lows and highs, that affect sleep, energy and judgment.
Anxiety and panic disorders. Constant worry or sudden waves of fear that can make a drink or a pill feel like the only relief.
PTSD and trauma. Memories, nightmares or a sense of always being on guard after something painful happened.
Personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder. Intense emotions and relationships that can feel hard to steady.

Why Treating Both Together Works Better

When only the substance use is treated, untreated anxiety or depression often pulls people back toward using. When only the mental health side gets care, ongoing use can stall therapy and get in the way of medication. Treating both together, with one team watching the whole picture, gives each part of recovery a better chance to hold. If you’re comparing dual diagnosis treatment centers in Los Angeles, ask whether the same team treats both conditions. Here, it does.

How Co-Occurring Disorder Treatment Works at Cliffside West LA

Want to talk it over first? Call (877) 621-5810 confidentially.

Care takes place in two six-bed homes, where your team includes:

A psychiatrist whose specialty is addiction medicine, meeting with you at least weekly to review mood, sleep and medication and adjust as things change
A master’s-level therapist with a caseload of six, which leaves room to work through trauma and long-standing patterns at your pace
One team for both conditions, so the people treating your substance use and your mental health are the same people, sharing the same plan
Careful medication management for people who arrive on several prescriptions or need changes, coordinated with any detox you need first

Therapy follows the Stages of Change approach. Within it, CBT helps untangle the thought patterns behind both anxiety and cravings. DBT teaches skills for riding out intense emotions without reaching for a substance. ACT helps you make choices based on your values while hard feelings are still present. Your team also pays attention to how past experiences affect you now and works at a pace that feels safe.

Stays average over 30 days, which leaves time to see how mood and anxiety settle once substances are out of your system.

Mental Health Support After Discharge

Recovery from both conditions keeps going after you leave. Your case manager builds a discharge plan with you that includes continued mental health care: a psychiatrist and therapist in Los Angeles or close to home, plus outpatient treatment or sober living if they’d help. You’ll also have a year of support through Discovery 365.

In-Network Insurance for Addiction Treatment in Los Angeles

We also accept most other insurance plans on an out-of-network basis and offer private pay options. Shared and private rooms are available, and patients using insurance can choose to secure a private room for their full stay. Cliffside West LA is in network with: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, ComPsych, and TriWest.

For veterans: As an in-network TriWest provider, we work with eligible veterans through the VA Community Care Network.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Call (877) 621-5810. You can start the conversation before you have all the answers.

Do you treat mental health conditions on their own?

No. Cliffside West LA is built for adults with a substance use disorder as their primary diagnosis, with or without another condition alongside it. If mental health is your main concern, admissions can talk with you about what kind of program would fit you better.

Which gets treated first, the substance use or the mental health condition?

Neither waits for the other. Safe withdrawal comes first when it’s needed, and psychiatric care starts during that same phase, so your mood and anxiety are watched from the beginning.

Will I have to stop my current psychiatric medication?

Not necessarily. Your psychiatrist reviews everything you take when you arrive and decides with you what to keep, adjust or change. Admissions will tell you which records to bring.

What if I’m not sure I have a mental health condition?

That’s common, and you don’t need a diagnosis to start. Withdrawal and heavy use can look a lot like anxiety or depression, so your team looks at how you’re doing as substances clear before drawing conclusions.

Stories of Recovery at Cliffside West LA

Contact Our Team

Whether you’re seeking care for yourself or someone you love, our admissions team is here 24/7 to answer your questions, verify your insurance, and help you begin treatment as soon as you’re ready.