Dual diagnosis is a circumstance in which two independent disorders are present, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone who may not have been capable of being helped previously, stop drug 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 resulted in their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the reality that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but may also help clients better understand what triggered their drug use and ways to prevent it in the future. Handling dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support in addition to further treatment services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person will have to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in reality lots of people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.