Dual diagnosis can be a situation in which two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone that might not have been capable of being helped before, stop drug or alcohol abuse by being correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which could have prompted and led to their substance abuse problems. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but can also help clients better understand what caused their substance abuse and how to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in a substantial aftercare program which can include proper medical support in addition to continued rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the individual must 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 treatment solutions are employed.