Dual diagnosis is a situation whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help an individual who might possibly not have been able to be helped before, stop drug or alcohol abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which could have prompted and resulted in their drug abuse problems. Establishing the fact that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but could also help clients better determine what led to their drug use and ways to prevent it down the road. Handling dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include proper medical support as well as continued rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual should be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and actually many individuals who have a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.