Dual diagnosis is a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help an individual who may not have been capable of being helped before, put an end to substance abuse by being accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that could have prompted and resulted in their drug abuse issues. Establishing the reality that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but could also help clients better determine what caused their drug abuse and ways to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might be required to take part in an extensive aftercare program which might include proper medical support as well as further rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual must be medicated for the remainder 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 methods are utilized.