Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help someone who might not have been capable of being helped before, end drug or alcohol abuse because they can be correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly that may have triggered and resulted in their substance abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but may also help clients better determine what caused their drug abuse and how to prevent it in the future. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support and also continued treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the individual will have to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually many people who have a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.