Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help someone who may possibly not have been able to be helped in the past, stop drug abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that may have triggered and led to their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the fact that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective treatment course for them, but could also help clients better know what caused their substance abuse and how to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in a substantial aftercare program which may include proper medical support in addition to further rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and in reality a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.