Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help an individual who may not have been able to be helped before, end substance abuse by being accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated that could have prompted and led to their drug abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective treatment course for them, but may also help clients better determine what led to their drug abuse and how to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might be required to take part in an extensive aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support along with continued rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person must be medicated through out their lives either, and actually a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.