Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help a person that might possibly not have been able to be helped previously, stop substance abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which could have triggered and resulted in their drug abuse problems. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but can also help clients better determine what triggered their substance abuse and ways to prevent it in the future. Handling dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in an extensive aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support along with continued treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual should be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact many individuals with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.