Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone that may not have been capable of being helped before, finish drug or alcohol abuse by being accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated that could have triggered and resulted in their drug abuse issues. Establishing the reality that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better determine what triggered their drug abuse and the way to prevent it in the future. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and individuals who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in a substantial aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support in addition to continued rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person will have to be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact many people with a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.