Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help a person that may not have been capable of being helped previously, end substance abuse by being properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that could have prompted and led to their substance abuse issues. Establishing the truth that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better determine what triggered their drug abuse and ways to prevent it in the future. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which can include proper medical support as well as continued treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the person must be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in fact a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.