Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance in which two independent disorders are present, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help a person that might possibly not have been capable of being helped during the past, stop substance abuse by being properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which may have prompted and resulted in their drug abuse issues. Establishing the reality that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better understand what caused their drug abuse and how to prevent it in the future. Handling dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program that might include proper medical support in addition to further rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the individual must be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and actually many people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.