Dual diagnosis is a situation in which two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help a person that may not have been able to be helped previously, end drug or alcohol abuse by being properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which may have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the fact that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an efficient treatment course for them, but will also help clients better know what led to their drug use and ways to prevent it down the road. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis may need to take part in a substantial aftercare program that might include proper medical support in addition to continued rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and in reality many people with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.