Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance in which two independent disorders are present, and most typically denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help a person that might not have been capable of being helped previously, end substance abuse by being properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that may have prompted and resulted in their substance abuse problems. Establishing the reality that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but can also help clients better determine what led to their drug use and how to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which can include proper medical support and also further rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the individual will need to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually many people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.