Dual diagnosis is a circumstance in which two independent disorders exist, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone who might not have been able to be helped before, stop drug or alcohol abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that could have prompted and led to their drug abuse problems. Establishing the reality that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an effective treatment course for them, but can also help clients better understand what caused their drug abuse and how to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis may need to take part in an extensive aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support as well as continued rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the person will have to be medicated through out their lives either, and actually lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.