Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes 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, end drug or alcohol abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which could have triggered and resulted in their substance abuse problems. Establishing the fact that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but can also help clients better know what led to their drug abuse and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in an extensive aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support as well as further treatment services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the person will have to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in reality many people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.