Dual diagnosis can be a situation in which two independent disorders exist, and most often describes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help a person that might possibly not have been capable of being helped during the past, put an end to drug or alcohol abuse by being correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly that may have prompted and resulted in their substance abuse problems. Establishing the reality that someone is certainly a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish a highly effective treatment plan for them, but may also help clients better know what triggered their substance abuse and the way to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people who have a dual diagnosis may need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which can include appropriate medical support along with continued rehabilitation services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't imply the person will have to be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact many individuals who have a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.