Dual diagnosis can be a situation in which two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone that might not have been able to be helped in the past, stop drug or alcohol abuse by being accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which may have prompted and resulted in their substance abuse problems. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish a highly effective treatment course for them, but could also help clients better understand what caused their drug use and ways to prevent it in the future. Handling dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and individuals who have a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in an extensive aftercare program that might include proper medical support in addition to continued treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will have to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually many people with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.