Dual diagnosis is a situation in which two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help an individual who may not have been capable of being helped in the past, stop substance abuse by being accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly which could have triggered and resulted in their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but can also help clients better understand what triggered their drug abuse and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis may need to take part in a substantial aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support as well as further treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and in reality many individuals with a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.