Dual diagnosis is a situation in which two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone who might not have been capable of being helped before, finish substance abuse by being accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which could have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the reality that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an efficient course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better understand what caused their substance abuse and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support along with continued rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person will have to be medicated through out their lives either, and in reality many people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.