Dual diagnosis is a circumstance in which two independent disorders exist, and most often describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help a person that may not have been capable of being helped previously, stop drug abuse by being correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which could have triggered and led to their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the fact someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but will also help clients better determine what triggered their drug use and the way to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which can include proper medical support and also further treatment services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and actually lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.