Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone who may not have been capable of being helped before, end substance abuse because they can be correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which could have triggered and led to their substance abuse issues. Establishing the fact someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but can also help clients better understand what caused their drug use and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support and also continued treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual must be medicated through out 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.