Dual diagnosis can be a situation in which two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help an individual who might not have been able to be helped in the past, stop substance abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have triggered and resulted in 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 treatment plan for them, but may also help clients better know what triggered their substance abuse and ways to prevent it in the future. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis may need to take part in an extensive aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support in addition to continued rehabilitation services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and actually many individuals who have a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.