Dual diagnosis is a situation whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis can help someone who might not have been able to be helped previously, finish drug abuse by being properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated that may have prompted and resulted in their drug or alcohol use problems. Establishing the fact someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not just helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but may also help clients better determine what triggered their drug use and how to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Handling dual diagnosis is often a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and folks who have a dual diagnosis may need to participate in a substantial aftercare program that might include proper medical support in addition to continued treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in reality lots of people who have a dual diagnosis experience more effective outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.