Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help an individual who may not have been able to be helped previously, stop substance abuse by being correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly that could have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the truth that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective treatment course for them, but may also help clients better know what led to their substance abuse and the way to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in an extensive aftercare program that might include proper medical support as well as further treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person must be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact many people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.