Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone who might possibly not have been able to be helped during the past, stop drug abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which could have prompted and resulted in their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the fact someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an efficient treatment plan for them, but could also help clients better determine what caused their substance abuse and how to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in an extensive aftercare program which can include proper medical support and also continued rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the person must be medicated through out their lives either, and actually many people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.