Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help a person that might not have been able to be helped before, end substance abuse by being correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated that could have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the reality that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but will also help clients better understand what triggered their drug abuse and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis might need to take part in an extensive aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support and also continued rehab services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual will have to be medicated for the rest 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 utilized.