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 can help someone who may possibly not have been capable of being helped in the past, stop drug or alcohol abuse by being properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly that may have triggered and led to their substance abuse issues. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an efficient treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better determine what triggered their substance abuse and how to prevent it later on. Addressing dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis may need to take part in an extensive aftercare program which can include proper medical support as well as further rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the individual should be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in fact lots of people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.