Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance in which two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help a person that may possibly not have been able to be helped previously, stop drug or alcohol abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which could have prompted and resulted in their substance abuse issues. Establishing the fact someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better determine what triggered their drug 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 people who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support as well as continued rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the individual must be medicated through out their lives either, and actually a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.