Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders are present, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help an individual who may possibly not have been able to be helped in the past, put an end to drug or alcohol abuse by being properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have prompted and resulted in their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the fact someone is certainly 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 how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support and also further rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual must be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in reality many individuals who have a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.