Dual diagnosis is a circumstance in which two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help an individual who may not have been able to be helped in the past, end drug or alcohol abuse by being accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that could have prompted and resulted in their drug abuse problems. Establishing the truth that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but may also help clients better determine what triggered their drug use and the way to prevent it down the road. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support along with further rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual should be medicated through out their lives either, and in reality many people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.