Dual diagnosis is a situation whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone that might not have been capable of being helped in the past, stop drug or alcohol abuse by being correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which could have triggered and led to their drug abuse issues. Establishing the truth that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish a highly effective treatment course for them, but will also help clients better understand what triggered their substance abuse and the way to prevent it down the road. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might be required to take part in an extensive aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support and also further treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will have to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually many individuals who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.