Dual diagnosis can be a situation in which two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone that may not have been capable of being helped during the past, end drug or alcohol abuse by being correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that may have prompted and resulted in their drug abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better understand what led to their drug use and the way to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in a substantial aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support and also further rehabilitation services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.