Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help a person that may possibly not have been able to be helped previously, stop drug abuse by being accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly which could have prompted and resulted in their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the reality that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective treatment course for them, but can also help clients better understand what triggered their substance abuse and ways to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis might need to take part in an extensive aftercare program which may include proper medical support and also continued rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the person will need to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.