Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often describes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone that may possibly not have been able to be helped previously, put an end to drug abuse by being accurately diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that may have triggered and resulted in their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the truth that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better determine what caused their drug use and ways to prevent it down the road. Handling dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might need to take part in a substantial aftercare program that might include proper medical support as well as continued rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the person will have to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.