Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone that may not have been capable of being helped previously, end drug or alcohol abuse by being properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which may have prompted and led to their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but will also help clients better determine what triggered their substance abuse and ways to prevent it in the future. Addressing dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis may need to take part in an extensive aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support as well as further treatment services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the person should be medicated through out their lives either, and in reality a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.