Dual diagnosis is a circumstance whereby two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone who may not have been capable of being helped during the past, end drug or alcohol abuse by being correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which could have prompted and led to their drug abuse issues. Establishing the fact 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 determine what caused their drug abuse and how to prevent it down the road. Addressing dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include proper medical support and also continued treatment services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the individual will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and in reality lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are utilized.