Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone who may not have been capable of being helped previously, end substance abuse by being accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly that may have triggered and resulted in their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better understand what triggered their drug abuse and ways to prevent it later on. Addressing dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support in addition to continued rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person must be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact many people with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.