Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone who may possibly not have been capable of being helped before, put an end to drug or alcohol abuse because they can be correctly 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 substance abuse problems. Establishing the fact someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but may also help clients better determine what caused their substance abuse and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support along with continued rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person must be medicated through out their lives either, and in reality a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.