Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone who may possibly not have been able to be helped in the past, stop drug or alcohol abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that may have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the fact that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an effective treatment course for them, but may also help clients better determine what led to their substance abuse and the way to prevent it later on. Addressing dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in a substantial aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support along with further rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply 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 outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are employed.