Dual diagnosis can be a situation in which two independent disorders are present, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help a person that might not have been able to be helped during the past, stop drug abuse by being accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which may have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the fact someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better understand what triggered their drug use and how to prevent it later on. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in an extensive aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support in addition to further rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual should be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in reality many people with a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.