Dual diagnosis is a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help an individual who might possibly not have been capable of being helped during the past, put an end to drug or alcohol abuse because they can be correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but can also help clients better know what caused their substance abuse and ways to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis might need to take part in an extensive aftercare program which can include proper medical support as well as continued treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and actually a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.