Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone who may possibly not have been able to be helped previously, end substance abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly which could have triggered and led to their drug abuse issues. Establishing the fact someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish a highly effective treatment course for them, but will also help clients better know what caused their drug use and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include proper medical support along with continued rehabilitation services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will have to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in fact a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.