Dual diagnosis is a situation whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help an individual who might not have been able to be helped in the past, stop drug abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the fact that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but can also help clients better know what led to their drug use and how to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in a substantial aftercare program that might include proper medical support in addition to further treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the person must be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually many people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.