Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone that might possibly not have been capable of being helped previously, stop drug abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that may have triggered and resulted in their drug abuse issues. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an efficient course of treatment for them, but will also help clients better determine what triggered their drug abuse and ways to prevent it in the future. 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 take part in an extensive aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support in addition to continued rehab services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will need to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and actually a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.