Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help an individual who might not have been able to be helped during the past, finish drug or alcohol abuse by being properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that could have triggered and led to their drug abuse problems. Establishing the fact someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but could also help clients better understand what led to their drug abuse and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support as well as continued rehab services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and in reality lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.