Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance in which two independent disorders exist, and most often describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone that might not have been capable of being helped in the past, finish substance abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which may have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish a highly effective course of treatment for them, but may also help clients better know what triggered their drug abuse and ways to prevent it in the future. Addressing dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program that might include proper medical support as well as further rehabilitation services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the individual will need to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in fact many individuals who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are employed.