Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help a person that might not have been able to be helped during the past, end drug abuse by being accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly which could have triggered and resulted in their substance abuse problems. Establishing the fact someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an efficient treatment course for them, but could also help clients better determine what triggered their drug use and the way to prevent it in the future. Addressing dual diagnosis may be 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 can include appropriate medical support as well as continued rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the person will need to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in reality a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.