Dual diagnosis treatment is integrated care for a substance use disorder and a co-occurring mental health condition, delivered by one team under one plan. It runs through every level of addiction treatment programs at LACATC in Los Angeles, from detox through outpatient care. Half-treated patients relapse, so LACATC never treats half the problem.
Which conditions does LACATC treat alongside addiction?
LACATC treats 5 primary co-occurring conditions alongside addiction: PTSD, depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and trauma-related sleep disorders. SAMHSA counted 58.7 million U.S. adults with mental illness in 2023, and substance use rises sharply within that group. Psychiatric evaluation happens at intake, not weeks into treatment, so the full clinical picture shapes the plan from day 1 rather than after a relapse exposes it.
Common pairings we see include:
- PTSD with alcohol or opioid use, especially among veterans
- Depression with alcohol or benzodiazepine use
- Anxiety disorders with prescription sedative misuse
- Meth use with psychosis and mood instability
Each pairing gets its own protocol. Meth-related psychosis is stabilized before deep therapy begins, while trauma work for veterans is paced to avoid overwhelming early sobriety.
Why must PTSD and addiction be treated together?
PTSD and addiction must be treated together because each condition fuels the other. The National Center for PTSD reports that 45% of adults with PTSD also have drug or alcohol problems, and among veterans in VA care with PTSD, 27% carry a substance use diagnosis.
What happens when only the addiction is treated?
Trauma symptoms may affect recovery for some people. When clinically appropriate, trauma-informed therapy can be included in a coordinated treatment plan.
Sobriety removes the anesthetic. We treat what's underneath.
What does dual diagnosis treatment include at LACATC?
Dual diagnosis treatment includes psychiatric care, trauma therapy, addiction counseling, and medication management, coordinated by a single clinical team. Integration is the method, not a marketing word.
Your plan combines 5 elements:
- Psychiatric evaluation and diagnosis at intake
- Medication management for mood, sleep, and cravings
- Individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for addiction treatment
- Trauma processing work, including EMDR where indicated
- Relapse prevention that names your specific mental health triggers
Psychiatry and therapy happen on the same campus, on the same chart. Your therapist and your prescriber talk weekly, so medication changes and therapy progress inform each other in real time.
One team. One plan. Both conditions.
Who needs dual diagnosis care?
Dual diagnosis care fits anyone whose substance use began as self-medication, or whose mood, anxiety, or trauma symptoms persist during sobriety. Veterans are a core population, and our veteran addiction treatment in Los Angeles County is built on this integrated model.
3 signs point toward dual diagnosis treatment: using substances to sleep or quiet your mind, relapsing whenever life stress spikes, and prior treatment that addressed drinking or drug use but never asked about trauma. If 2 of the 3 sound familiar, an assessment is worth one phone call.
FAQ
You are not weak, and you are not broken twice. You have 2 treatable medical conditions and 1 team ready to treat them. Call LACATC or begin addiction treatment today at LACATC to schedule a confidential dual diagnosis assessment in Encino this week.