Dual diagnosis is a situation in which two independent disorders exist, and most often denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone who may possibly not have been capable of being helped in the past, end drug or alcohol abuse by being accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly which could have prompted and resulted in their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the fact that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but will also help clients better know what caused their substance abuse and ways to prevent it down the road. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in a substantial aftercare program which might include proper medical support as well as continued 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 fact many individuals who have a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.