Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help a person that may not have been capable of being helped in the past, stop drug abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which could have triggered and resulted in their substance abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an efficient treatment plan for them, but may also help clients better know what caused their drug use and the way to prevent it down the road. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis might need to take part in an extensive aftercare program which may include proper medical support in addition to further rehabilitation services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the individual must be medicated through out their lives either, and in reality many individuals with a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.