Dual diagnosis is a circumstance in which 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 someone who may possibly not have been capable of being helped before, put an end to drug or alcohol abuse by being correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which could have triggered and resulted in their drug abuse problems. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better understand what caused their drug use and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis might be required to take part in an extensive aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support and also further treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will have to be medicated through out their lives either, and in reality many people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.