Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help a person that may possibly not have been capable of being helped during the past, end drug or alcohol abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated that may have triggered and resulted in their substance abuse problems. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an efficient treatment plan for them, but may also help clients better determine what caused their substance abuse and how to prevent it in the future. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might need to take part in an extensive aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support in addition to further rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the person will need to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and actually a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.