Dual diagnosis is a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help a person that might not have been capable of being helped during the past, end drug abuse by being properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that may have prompted and resulted in their substance abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but may also help clients better determine what triggered their substance abuse and ways to prevent it down the road. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis might need to take part in an extensive aftercare program that might include proper medical support along with continued treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact many individuals who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.