Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most typically denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help an individual who might not have been capable of being helped in the past, stop drug or alcohol abuse because they can be correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which may have prompted and resulted in their drug abuse problems. Establishing the fact that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but can also help clients better determine what caused their drug abuse and the way to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which may include proper medical support and also continued rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the individual should be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.