Dual diagnosis is a situation whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help a person that may possibly not have been able to be helped during the past, end drug abuse by being properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the fact someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but can also help clients better determine what caused their drug use and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support in addition to further rehab services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the individual will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact many individuals with a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.