Dual diagnosis can be a situation in which two independent disorders exist, and most often 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 in the past, stop drug or alcohol abuse by being correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that could have prompted and resulted in their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish a highly effective treatment course for them, but can also help clients better determine what led to their drug use and ways to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis may need to take part in an extensive aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support in addition to further treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the person should be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in fact many people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.