Dual diagnosis is a situation in which two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help a person that might possibly not have been able to be helped in the past, end substance abuse by being correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have prompted and resulted in their substance abuse issues. Establishing the truth that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better understand what caused their drug use and the way to prevent it later on. 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 a substantial aftercare program which may include proper medical support and also further rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the person will need to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in fact a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.