Dual diagnosis is a situation 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 a person that may possibly not have been able to be helped during the past, stop drug abuse by being correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which could have prompted and resulted in their drug abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish a highly effective treatment course for them, but will also help clients better know what caused their drug use and ways to prevent it later on. Addressing dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis may need to participate in a substantial aftercare program which can include proper medical support in addition to further rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual 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 therapy is utilized.