Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help an individual who may not have been able to be helped previously, finish drug or alcohol abuse by being accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly which may have triggered and led to their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the truth that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an efficient course of treatment for them, but may also help clients better determine what triggered their drug abuse and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in a substantial aftercare program which might include proper medical support in addition to continued rehabilitation services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual should be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.