Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone who might not have been capable of being helped during the past, finish drug or alcohol abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated that may have prompted and resulted in their drug abuse problems. Establishing the fact someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but could also help clients better determine what led to their drug abuse and ways to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis may need to take part in an extensive aftercare program that might include proper medical support as well as further rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person will have to be medicated through out their lives either, and actually many individuals with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.