Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone who may not have been able to be helped in the past, finish drug or alcohol abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which may have triggered and led to their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an efficient course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better determine what led to their substance abuse and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis may need to take part in a substantial aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support in addition to continued treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and in reality many individuals with a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.