Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone that may not have been capable of being helped in the past, finish drug or alcohol abuse by being correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that could have triggered and led to their substance abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but could also help clients better understand what led to their drug use and the way to prevent it down the road. Handling dual diagnosis might 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 may include appropriate medical support and also continued treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the person will have to be medicated through out their lives either, and actually many people with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are employed.