Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help an individual who may not have been able to be helped during the past, end drug or alcohol abuse by being correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which could have prompted and resulted in their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but could also help clients better know what caused their substance abuse and ways to prevent it later on. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in a substantial aftercare program which may include proper medical support in addition to 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 actually lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.