Dual diagnosis is a circumstance in which two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help a person that may not have been capable of being helped during the past, stop drug abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which may have prompted and resulted in their substance abuse problems. Establishing the reality that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better know what led to their drug use and how to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in an extensive aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support in addition to continued rehab services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the individual will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in reality lots of people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.