Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help a person that may not have been able to be helped during the past, stop drug or alcohol abuse by being properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly which may have triggered and resulted in their drug abuse issues. Establishing the fact someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an efficient treatment plan for them, but may also help clients better know what triggered their drug use and how to prevent it in the future. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in an extensive aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support in addition to further rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person will need to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in fact a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.