Dual diagnosis can be a situation in which two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help an individual who may possibly not have been able to be helped during the past, stop substance abuse by being correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which could have triggered and resulted in their drug abuse issues. Establishing the reality that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but could also help clients better understand what caused their drug use and ways to prevent it in the future. Addressing dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include proper medical support in addition to continued rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in reality a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.