Dual Diagnosis Help

Cliffside Malibu is a licensed dual diagnosis residential treatment center where cutting edge, evidence-based psychotherapy and analysis meet world-class drug and alcohol addiction treatment, medically supervised detoxification and holistic medicine. The individualized and specialized approach each person receives who walks through our doors is what makes this Malibu oasis more than just a place of luxury and serenity.

Those suffering with dual diagnosis experience not only the pain of chemical dependency and addiction but also a co-occurring emotional or psychiatric illness such as Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Personality Disorders, Gambling Addiction, Sex Addiction and Eating Disorders, only to name a few. Both illnesses may affect an individual physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually, and each illness has symptoms that interfere with a person’s ability to function effectively and relate to themselves and others. Furthermore, with dual diagnosis, not only is the individual affected by two separate illnesses, but also each illness interacts with the other, potentially exacerbating symptoms on each side and predisposing the individual to relapse in each of the illnesses.

At times the symptoms associated with dual diagnosis can overlap and mask each other making diagnosis and treatment more difficult. Cliffside Malibu has created an exceptional team of medical and psychiatric doctors, psychologists, therapists, chemical dependency counselors, spiritual advisors, and fitness and nutrition experts to address the complex physical, emotional/mental and spiritual components of those with a dual diagnosis.

If you or a loved one is in need of immediate treatment for addictions and other problems associated with dual diagnosis, please call Cliffside Malibu today at 1-800-501-1988. Help is a phone call away.




Extensive Dual Diagnosis Intake Process

Upon admission for a dual diagnosis condition, there is an extensive intake process, where information is gathered and the individual is compassionately welcomed into the home. From that point on, they then meet with their primary therapist who serves as a primary source of support and guidance throughout their treatment process, and who formulates an extensive clinical assessment based on the individual’s history, self-report, report from prior professionals and family members (as permitted by the individual) and based on the clinician’s observation and expertise. The individual also meets for an initial dual diagnosis evaluation with the psychiatrist who conducts an extensive psychiatric evaluation with the individual, again based on observation, history, self-report and report from other sources as is permitted.

The clinical team then collaborate throughout the individual’s treatment as the individual’s symptoms are stabilized, engaging in a process of differential diagnosing to methodically separate out the dual disorders and any overlap and exacerbation of co-occurring symptomatology, thereby establishing the most effective and appropriate course of treatment. This, of course, can take time, as a key part of treating dual diagnoses is allowing an individual to safely detox and stabilize before any conclusions are drawn, and the clinical team engages in the intensive assessment process while the person is removed from any external stressors in their life. The symptoms thereby come out in a sober environment and more pure form, allowing for more accurate assessment and diagnosis that ultimately informs the course that treatment takes in all its forms – psychiatrically and therapeutically.

Individual Treatment Plans Developed for our Residents

Therapeutically, we at Cliffside Malibu have created a compassionate, yet intensive environment to address the complexities of those with a dual diagnosis. We do not subscribe to traditional or cookie cutter methods of treating addiction or psychiatric disorders that presume all addiction and disorders can be treated the same, but instead recognize the distinct needs of those in this population and treat them accordingly. We incorporate motivational interviewing to engage the individual who may be in some degree of denial and not yet ready to address all elements of their diagnoses and we assist them in untangling these elements, allowing them to create a greater understanding of what is going on and how to move towards healing and recovery.

Group Therapy and Individual Therapy at Cliffside Malibu

Group therapy sessions for our dual diagnosis residents and our other addiction residents are offered three times per day and are comprised of the following: Experiential, Process, Art Therapy, Topic Groups, Life Assessment, Journaling, Spirituality, Boundary Power, 12 Step, and Relapse Prevention. The group experience can be a powerful vehicle, bringing a population of different cohorts, experiences and cultures together, thereby often creating a parallel process within the group dynamics where family of origin dynamics, life themes and issues underlying addiction and disorders such as depression and anxiety come to the surface allowing for direct intervention, interpretation and integration of the individual’s experience. The group also provides an avenue for individuals to grieve, to find resolve, to connect, and to learn healthy and more adaptive ways to cope versus utilizing previously learned maladaptive and self-harming means of coping.

Topic groups also provide a means to learn and empower oneself with knowledge of addiction, 12 step programs, psychological disorders and dual diagnosis. Furthermore, Individual Therapy is the clinical cornerstone at Cliffside Malibu where the individual meets a psychologist from three times per week to daily. A clinical assessment is created and specific treatment goals are thereby derived to effectively and systematically treat the symptoms, underlying causes, and short and long term goals for the individual within all domains of their life.

The clinical team of doctors and therapists all collaborate closely and continually throughout this dual diagnosis treatment period to be sure to treat the individual according to the intersection of medical and clinical data that are obtained through thorough extensive assessments and evaluations. Individual psychotherapy is then conducted with an integrated approach designed through the information gathered, and consists of a blend of intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, behavioral modification and systems family therapy, the latter addressing the entire family system and any boundary disturbances and roles that may be contributing to the individual’s dual diagnosis symptomatology.

Furthermore, Cliffside Malibu’s dual diagnosis treatment program offers step down levels of care beginning with primary treatment followed by extended care and then sober living. Each phase is structured according to the needs of the individual and allows for a slight reduction in structure each time and a gradual acclimation back to their life and society while still maintaining a strong focus on their recovery.

This Article was provided by Cliffside Malibu