Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone that might not have been able to be helped during the past, end drug abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly that could have prompted 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 effective treatment plan for them, but may also help clients better know what led to their drug abuse and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in a substantial aftercare program which might include proper medical support in addition to further rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the person will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact many individuals who have a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.