Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone that might not have been capable of being helped previously, put an end to drug abuse by being accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which could have prompted and led to their drug abuse issues. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish a highly effective treatment course for them, but can also help clients better know what caused their drug use and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might be required to take part in an extensive aftercare program which might include proper medical support along with continued rehab services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual should be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.