Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone who may not have been able to be helped during the past, end drug or alcohol abuse by being correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that could have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the truth that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but will also help clients better know what led to their substance abuse and ways to prevent it in the future. Handling dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which may include proper medical support in addition to continued rehabilitation services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will have to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in reality many people with a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.