Dual diagnosis is a circumstance in which two independent disorders exist, and most often describes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help someone that might not have been able to be helped during the past, stop substance abuse by being correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have triggered and led to their substance abuse problems. Establishing the fact that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better determine what triggered their drug abuse and ways to prevent it in the future. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and individuals who have a dual diagnosis might be required to take part in a substantial aftercare program that might include proper medical support and also further rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual should be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.