Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help someone who may possibly not have been able to be helped previously, stop substance abuse by being properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly which could have prompted and resulted in their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the fact that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an efficient treatment plan for them, but may also help clients better understand what led to their substance abuse and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program that might include proper medical support as well as continued rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the person will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.