Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help an individual who might possibly not have been capable of being helped previously, stop drug or alcohol abuse by being properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have triggered and resulted in their drug abuse issues. Establishing the reality that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an effective treatment course for them, but may also help clients better understand what led to their substance abuse and ways to prevent it in the future. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which may include proper medical support as well as continued rehabilitation services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual will need to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in fact many people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.