Dual diagnosis is a situation whereby two independent disorders are present, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help a person that might not have been able to be helped during the past, stop substance abuse because they can be correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that could have triggered and resulted in their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better know what led to their drug use and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support in addition to further treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in fact many individuals with a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.