Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone who may not have been capable of being helped previously, finish drug or alcohol abuse by being accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that may have prompted and resulted in their drug abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better know what caused their drug abuse and how to prevent it later on. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which can include proper medical support in addition to continued treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the person must be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in fact lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.