Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help someone that may not have been able to be helped before, finish drug abuse because they can be correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which could have prompted and led to their substance abuse issues. Establishing the reality that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective treatment course for them, but could also help clients better know what triggered their substance abuse and ways to prevent it down the road. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in a substantial aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support in addition to further rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the person must be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact many individuals who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.