Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance 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 may help an individual who might not have been able to be helped before, finish drug or alcohol abuse because they can be correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that may have prompted and resulted in their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the fact someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but may also help clients better understand what caused their drug abuse and ways to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support in addition to further rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the individual will need to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in fact a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.