Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help someone who might not have been able to be helped in the past, end drug or alcohol abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated that could have triggered and led to their substance abuse problems. Establishing the fact that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish a highly effective treatment course for them, but could also help clients better determine what caused their drug use and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and individuals who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in a substantial aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support in addition to continued rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person will need to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in fact many individuals who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.