Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone that may not have been capable of being helped previously, stop substance abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly which could have prompted and led to their drug abuse problems. Establishing the reality that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an efficient treatment course for them, but will also help clients better know what triggered their drug abuse and how to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in a substantial aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support and also further rehabilitation services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and actually a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are employed.