Dual diagnosis can be a situation in which two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone who might possibly not have been able to be helped before, put an end to substance abuse by being correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which could have prompted and led to their drug abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better know what led to their drug abuse and how to prevent it in the future. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in a substantial aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support in addition to continued treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual should be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in reality lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.