Dual diagnosis is a circumstance in which two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help someone who may not have been capable of being helped during the past, stop drug or alcohol abuse because they can be correctly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly that may have prompted and resulted in their substance abuse problems. Establishing the fact that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an effective treatment course for them, but can also help clients better understand what led to their drug abuse and how to prevent it later on. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis might need to take part in an extensive aftercare program which may include proper medical support in addition to continued rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual should be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in reality lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.