Dual diagnosis is a situation in which two independent disorders exist, and most often describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help a person that might not have been able to be helped before, finish substance abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that may have triggered and resulted in their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an efficient treatment course for them, but could also help clients better know what led to their drug use and the way to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and individuals who have a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support in addition to continued treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person must be medicated through out their lives either, and actually lots of people who have a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.