Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone who might not have been able to be helped during the past, stop drug or alcohol abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which could have prompted and resulted in their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but can also help clients better know what caused their drug abuse and ways to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support as well as further rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual must be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in fact many people with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.