Dual diagnosis is a circumstance in which two independent disorders exist, and most typically denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone that might not have been able to be helped previously, stop drug abuse by being properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated that could have triggered and led to their drug abuse issues. Establishing the truth that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an efficient course of treatment for them, but can also help clients better determine what triggered their drug abuse and ways to prevent it down the road. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in a substantial aftercare program that might include appropriate medical support in addition to continued rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the individual will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and actually lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.