Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance in which two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone who may not have been able to be helped previously, end drug abuse by being accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which may have triggered and led to their drug abuse issues. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but can also help clients better know what led to their substance abuse and how to prevent it later on. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program that might include proper medical support in addition to continued rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the individual will have to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually many individuals with a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.