Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone that may possibly not have been able to be helped before, stop drug or alcohol abuse by being properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which could have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the truth that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better determine what caused their drug use and the way to prevent it in the future. Handling dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis may need to participate in a substantial aftercare program which might include proper medical support as well as further rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual must be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.