Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone who may possibly not have been able to be helped before, finish substance abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have triggered and led to their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the fact someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an efficient course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better determine what led to their drug use and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include proper medical support in addition to continued rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in reality many individuals with a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.