Dual diagnosis is a circumstance in which two independent disorders exist, and most often describes a co-occurring drug abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help an individual who might not have been able to be helped previously, stop substance abuse by being accurately diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder could have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly that could have triggered and led to their substance abuse issues. Establishing the fact someone is actually a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective treatment course for them, but will also help clients better determine what led to their substance abuse and ways to prevent it in the future. Addressing dual diagnosis can be a more extensive process than a typical drug rehab program, and individuals with a dual diagnosis might need to take part in an extensive aftercare program that might include proper medical support in addition to further treatment services. Being clinically determined to have co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the person will need to be medicated for the rest of their lives either, and actually a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience much better results when treated holistically and when alternative treatment solutions are employed.