Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone who might possibly not have been able to be helped in the past, end substance abuse by being correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that may have triggered and led to their drug abuse problems. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better determine what triggered their substance abuse and how to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support and also continued treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the individual will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in fact lots of people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are employed.