Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often describes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help a person that might not have been capable of being helped in the past, stop substance abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which may have prompted and led to their drug abuse problems. Establishing the fact that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but will also help clients better determine what caused their drug use and how to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which may include proper medical support as well as further treatment services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the individual should be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in reality a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.