Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help a person that may not have been capable of being helped during the past, stop substance abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated that could have prompted and led to their drug abuse problems. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an efficient course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better determine what led to their drug use and the way to prevent it in the future. Handling dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis might need to take part in a substantial aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support in addition to further rehabilitation services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the person must be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.