Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help someone who may not have been capable of being helped during the past, stop drug abuse by being correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly that may have triggered and led to their substance abuse problems. Establishing the fact someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish a highly effective treatment course for them, but can also help clients better determine what led to their substance abuse and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in a substantial aftercare program which may include proper medical support in addition to further rehabilitation services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual will have to be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact many people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are employed.