Dual diagnosis is a situation in which two independent disorders exist, and most often describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help an individual who may not have been able to be helped previously, end substance abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which could have triggered and led to their drug abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better know what triggered their drug abuse and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in a substantial aftercare program which might include proper medical support and also continued rehabilitation services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual must be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact many people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.