Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help someone who might not have been able to be helped before, end drug or alcohol abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which could have prompted and led to their drug abuse issues. Establishing the reality that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but will also help clients better understand what led to their substance abuse and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might be required to take part in an extensive aftercare program which might include proper medical support as well as further rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual must be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in fact many people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.