Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help a person that might possibly not have been capable of being helped before, finish drug abuse by being accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have triggered and led to their drug abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an efficient course of treatment for them, but may also help clients better determine what triggered their drug use and ways to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in a substantial aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support in addition to continued treatment services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual should be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in reality many people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.