Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help a person that may not have been capable of being helped before, put an end to drug abuse by being correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated that may have prompted and resulted in their drug abuse problems. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an efficient course of treatment for them, but will also help clients better know what caused their substance abuse and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis may need to take part in a substantial aftercare program which can include proper medical support along with continued rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the person must be medicated through out their lives either, and actually many individuals with a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are employed.