Dual diagnosis is a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone that may possibly not have been capable of being helped during the past, stop substance abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and helped. 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 problems. Establishing the truth that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better understand what triggered their substance abuse and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support and also continued rehab services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in reality lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.