Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most typically denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone who may possibly not have been able to be helped previously, finish drug abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly which may have prompted and resulted in their drug abuse issues. Establishing the fact someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an efficient treatment plan for them, but can also help clients better determine what caused their drug abuse and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support in addition to further treatment services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person should be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.