Dual diagnosis is a situation whereby two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help an individual who might possibly not have been able to be helped before, put an end to drug or alcohol abuse because they can be properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly that could have prompted and led to their drug abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not only helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but may also help clients better know what triggered their drug use and ways to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which may include appropriate medical support and also continued rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the individual must be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in fact a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better results when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is employed.