Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help someone who may possibly not have been capable of being helped before, end drug abuse by being accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which may have triggered and resulted in their drug abuse issues. Establishing the truth that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an effective treatment course for them, but may also help clients better know what triggered their substance abuse and how to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis may need to take part in an extensive aftercare program which may include proper medical support in addition to further treatment services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the person will have to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in fact many people with a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.