Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance in which two independent disorders are present, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help an individual who may possibly not have been able to be helped in the past, stop substance abuse because they can be correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly which could have triggered and led to their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the reality that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but will also help clients better determine what caused their drug abuse and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include proper medical support along with continued treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the individual will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.