Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone who might possibly not have been able to be helped during the past, finish drug or alcohol abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which may have prompted and led to their substance abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an efficient course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better determine what led to their substance abuse and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis may need to participate in a substantial aftercare program which might include proper medical support in addition to further rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the individual will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in fact many people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.