Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most typically denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone who might not have been capable of being helped in the past, end substance abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which could have prompted and led to their substance abuse problems. Establishing the fact someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better know what triggered their drug 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 individuals who have a dual diagnosis might be required to take part in an extensive aftercare program which may include proper medical support along with further rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the individual must be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are employed.