Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance in which two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help an individual who may possibly not have been capable of being helped before, end substance abuse by being properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that could have prompted and led to their substance abuse problems. Establishing the reality that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an efficient course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better understand what led to their drug use and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis may need to participate in a substantial aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support along with further treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the individual will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.