Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help a person that might possibly not have been able to be helped before, stop drug abuse by being properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated that could have triggered and led to their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the truth that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective treatment course for them, but can also help clients better know what caused their substance abuse and ways to prevent it down the road. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and individuals who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which may include proper medical support in addition to further treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the person will need to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually many people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.