Dual diagnosis can be a situation in which two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help a person that may not have been capable of being helped in the past, put an end to drug or alcohol abuse by being accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which could have triggered and led to their drug abuse problems. Establishing the fact someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but can also help clients better know what triggered their drug use and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might be required to take part in an extensive aftercare program that might include proper medical support and also continued rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will have to be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.