Dual diagnosis can be 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 someone that might not have been able to be helped before, stop substance abuse by being correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which may have triggered and resulted in their drug abuse problems. Establishing the reality that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish a highly effective treatment course for them, but could also help clients better determine what led to their drug use and ways to prevent it in the future. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might be required to take part in an extensive aftercare program which might include proper medical support as well as further rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the individual must be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.