Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help a person that may not have been able to be helped before, stop drug or alcohol abuse by being correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that could have prompted and led to their drug abuse problems. Establishing the fact someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but can also help clients better understand what triggered their drug use and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. 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 participate in a substantial aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support along with continued rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the person will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and actually a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.