Dual diagnosis can be a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help a person that may not have been able to be helped in the past, put an end to drug abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which could have triggered and led to their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better determine what led to their drug abuse and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis may need to take part in a substantial aftercare program that might include proper medical support in addition to continued rehabilitation services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual should be medicated through out their lives either, and actually lots of people who have a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.