Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone who may possibly not have been able to be helped during the past, stop drug abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which may have triggered and resulted in their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the fact someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but can also help clients better determine what triggered their drug abuse 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 who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in a substantial aftercare program which might include proper medical support as well as continued rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual should be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and actually a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.