Dual diagnosis is a circumstance in which two independent disorders exist, and most often denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help a person that may not have been able to be helped before, finish substance abuse by being accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly which may have triggered and led to their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the reality that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better determine what led to their drug use and ways to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis may need to take part in a substantial aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support along with further treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the person will have to be medicated through out their lives either, and actually a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.