Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most typically denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help an individual who may not have been able to be helped before, finish drug abuse by being properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that may have triggered and led to their drug abuse problems. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but may also help clients better determine what triggered their substance 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 who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in a substantial aftercare program which might include proper medical support as well as further rehabilitation services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will need to be medicated through out their lives either, and actually a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.