Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone that might not have been able to be helped in the past, stop substance abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated that could have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the fact someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better determine what led to their drug abuse and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include proper medical support along with continued treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in reality lots of people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.