Dual diagnosis is a circumstance in which two independent disorders exist, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone who might possibly not have been capable of being helped during the past, stop drug abuse by being properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have triggered and resulted in their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the truth that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but may also help clients better determine what triggered their drug use and ways to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis might be required to take part in a substantial aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support in addition to further rehabilitation services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the individual should be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact many individuals who have a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are employed.