Dual diagnosis can be a circumstance in which two independent disorders are present, and most often denotes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis may help someone who may possibly not have been able to be helped previously, finish drug abuse by being properly diagnosed and treated. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated that may have triggered and led to their substance abuse issues. Establishing the fact that someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an effective treatment course for them, but could also help clients better determine what caused their substance abuse and ways to prevent it down the road. Handling dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process compared to a typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support in addition to continued rehab services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't mean that the individual must be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and in fact a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.