Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone that may possibly not have been capable of being helped before, stop drug abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated that may have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the fact someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but may also help clients better know what caused their drug abuse and ways to prevent it in the future. Addressing dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis may need to take part in an extensive aftercare program that might include proper medical support in addition to further rehabilitation services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that 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 far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.