Dual diagnosis is a situation whereby two independent disorders are present, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help a person that may possibly not have been capable of being helped in the past, stop drug or alcohol abuse because they can be correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly which may have triggered and resulted in their substance abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an efficient treatment plan for them, but may also help clients better know what caused their drug abuse and the way to prevent it in the future. Addressing dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis may need to take part in an extensive aftercare program which might include proper medical support along with further rehab services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual will have to be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are employed.