Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help an individual who might not have been able to be helped in the past, finish substance abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that could have prompted and resulted in their drug abuse problems. Establishing the fact someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an efficient course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better determine what caused their substance abuse and ways to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support as well as continued rehabilitation services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will need to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually lots of people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.