Dual diagnosis can be a situation in which two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone who may not have been able to be helped before, stop drug abuse by being properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated that may have triggered and resulted in their substance abuse issues. Establishing the truth that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective treatment course for them, but may also help clients better know what triggered their substance abuse and ways to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might be required to take part in an extensive aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support in addition to further treatment services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the individual must be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact many people who have a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.