Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone who may not have been able to be helped previously, end substance abuse by being correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which may have triggered and resulted in their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the truth 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 determine what caused their drug abuse and ways to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support along with further rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will have to be medicated through out their lives either, and actually lots of people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.