Dual diagnosis is a situation in which two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone who may not have been capable of being helped in the past, put an end to drug or alcohol abuse by being properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have triggered and resulted in their drug abuse issues. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but can also help clients better determine what triggered their substance abuse and how to prevent it in the future. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis may need to take part in a substantial aftercare program which might include proper medical support and also continued treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the person should be medicated through out their lives either, and actually lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.