Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone who may not have been capable of being helped before, put an end to drug or alcohol abuse by being properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly that could have prompted and led to their drug abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but may also help clients better know what led to their drug use and ways to prevent it in the future. Handling dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support in addition to further rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the individual will have to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in fact many individuals with a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.