Dual diagnosis can be a situation in which two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone that might not have been capable of being helped before, stop drug abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which may have triggered and led to their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective treatment course for them, but may also help clients better know what led to their substance abuse and the way to prevent it in the future. Addressing dual diagnosis may be 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 may include appropriate medical support along with further rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person will need to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually many individuals who have a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.