Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone that may possibly not have been able to be helped previously, stop drug abuse by being accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly that could have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better know what triggered their drug abuse and ways to prevent it in the future. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might need to take part in a substantial aftercare program that might include proper medical support as well as continued treatment services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the individual must be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in fact a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.