Dual diagnosis is a circumstance in which two independent disorders exist, and most often describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help someone that may not have been capable of being helped previously, put an end to drug abuse by being properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated that could have triggered and led to their substance abuse problems. Establishing the truth that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but will also help clients better understand what led to their substance abuse and ways to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program that might include proper medical support as well as continued treatment services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual should be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.