Dual diagnosis is a circumstance in which two independent disorders are present, and most typically denotes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone who may not have been able to be helped in the past, put an end to drug or alcohol abuse because they can be accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or mistreated which may have prompted and led to their drug abuse issues. Establishing the truth that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an efficient course of treatment for them, but can also help clients better understand what led to their drug use and the way to prevent it later on. Addressing dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis may need to participate in a substantial aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support in addition to further rehab services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't imply that the individual will have to be medicated through out their lives either, and in reality lots of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.