Dual diagnosis is a situation whereby two independent disorders are present, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help a person that might not have been able to be helped during the past, end drug or alcohol abuse by being accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that could have triggered and led to their substance abuse problems. Establishing the fact someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective treatment course for them, but may also help clients better determine what caused their substance abuse and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support and also continued rehabilitation services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person should be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are employed.