Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help an individual who may not have been capable of being helped previously, put an end to drug or alcohol abuse by being correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which could have prompted and resulted in their drug abuse problems. Establishing the truth that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an efficient treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better determine what caused their substance abuse and ways to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might need to take part in an extensive aftercare program which can include proper medical support as well as continued treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in fact a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are employed.