Dual diagnosis is a situation whereby two independent disorders are present, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone who might not have been capable of being helped before, stop drug or alcohol abuse by being properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have prompted and resulted in their drug abuse issues. Establishing the reality that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but can also help clients better know what triggered their drug abuse and how to prevent it in the future. Addressing dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support along with further rehab services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the individual should be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in reality a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.