Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone who might possibly not have been capable of being helped in the past, stop drug or alcohol abuse because they can be correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that could have prompted and led to their substance abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but could also help clients better determine what triggered their drug abuse and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might need to take part in a substantial aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support along with further rehab services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual will have to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in fact a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.