Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance whereby two independent disorders exist, and most often describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help an individual who might not have been capable of being helped before, end drug abuse by being correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated which may have prompted and led to their substance abuse problems. Establishing the reality that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an efficient course of treatment for them, but could also help clients better know what led to their drug abuse and ways to prevent it down the road. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in an extensive aftercare program which may include proper medical support in addition to continued rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the person must be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in fact lots of people who have a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative therapy is utilized.