Dual diagnosis is a situation in which two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help a person that may not have been capable of being helped previously, end substance abuse by being accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which may have triggered and resulted in their substance abuse problems. Establishing the truth that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an efficient treatment course for them, but will also help clients better understand what caused their substance abuse and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in a substantial aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support and also continued treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will have to be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.