Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders are present, and most typically denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone who might possibly not have been capable of being helped previously, finish drug or alcohol abuse by being correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that may have prompted and led to their substance abuse issues. Establishing the reality that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better determine what led to their substance abuse and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support in addition to further treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person will have to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in fact a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.