Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help an individual who may not have been able to be helped in the past, stop drug or alcohol abuse by being accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly which may have triggered and resulted in their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the truth that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective treatment course for them, but can also help clients better determine what triggered their substance abuse and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support along with continued treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual will have to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in fact lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.