Dual diagnosis is a situation in which two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help a person that may possibly not have been capable of being helped in the past, stop drug or alcohol abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly that may have prompted 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 a highly effective course of treatment for them, but may also help clients better determine what triggered their drug use and ways to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might need to take part in a substantial aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support in addition to further rehabilitation services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person will need to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in fact many individuals who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.