Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone who may not have been able to be helped before, stop substance abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have triggered and led to their drug abuse problems. Establishing the truth that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better determine what triggered their drug abuse and the way to prevent it down the road. Handling dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis might be required to take part in a substantial aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support in addition to continued rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and actually many individuals with a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.