Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone that may not have been able to be helped before, stop drug abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that may have triggered and resulted in their drug abuse issues. Establishing the fact someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but could also help clients better know what caused their drug use and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support and also further rehab services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual should be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in fact a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.