Dual diagnosis is a situation in which two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help someone that might not have been capable of being helped previously, stop drug or alcohol abuse by being accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that could have prompted and resulted in their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the truth that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an efficient treatment course for them, but can also help clients better determine what triggered their substance abuse and how to prevent it in the future. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis may need to take part in an extensive aftercare program that might include proper medical support in addition to further rehabilitation services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the individual should be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact many people with a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.