Dual diagnosis is 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 an individual who might not have been able to be helped in the past, stop drug abuse by being correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that may have prompted and led to their drug abuse problems. Establishing the fact someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective treatment course for them, but will also help clients better determine what triggered their substance abuse and how to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis might need to take part in an extensive aftercare program which can include proper medical support in addition to further rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the person must be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.