Dual diagnosis is a circumstance in which two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help someone who might not have been able to be helped in the past, finish drug abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have prompted and led to their substance abuse problems. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better understand what triggered their drug abuse and ways to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis may need to take part in a substantial aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support in addition to continued rehab services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual must be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually lots of people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.