Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone who may not have been capable of being helped during the past, put an end to drug abuse by being correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that could have triggered and led to their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an efficient treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better understand what triggered their substance abuse and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis might need to take part in an extensive aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support along with 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 in fact a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are employed.