Dual diagnosis can be a situation in which two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone who might possibly not have been able to be helped previously, end substance abuse by being accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but will also help clients better determine what caused their drug use and the way to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support along with further treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the person will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in fact a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are employed.