Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help a person that may not have been able to be helped in the past, end drug or alcohol abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated that could have triggered and led to their drug abuse problems. Establishing the fact someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but will also help clients better determine what triggered their drug abuse and the way to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis might need to take part in a substantial aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support as well as further treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the person should be medicated through out their lives either, and actually lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.