Dual diagnosis is a circumstance in which two independent disorders exist, and most often describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone that may possibly not have been capable of being helped before, stop drug abuse by being accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly that could have triggered and led to their drug abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an efficient treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better understand what led to their substance abuse and ways to prevent it later on. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis might be required to take part in an extensive aftercare program that might include proper medical support in addition to continued rehab services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual will have to be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact many people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.