Dual diagnosis is 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 may help someone who might not have been capable of being helped previously, stop drug or alcohol abuse by being correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that could have triggered and resulted in their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the fact someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but can also help clients better know what led to their drug use and how to prevent it down the road. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and individuals who have a dual diagnosis may need to take part in a substantial aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support along with continued rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact many people who have a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.