Dual diagnosis can be a situation in which two independent disorders are present, and most typically describes a co-occurring drug or alcohol use and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis might help someone who might possibly not have been able to be helped in the past, finish drug or alcohol abuse by being properly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder might have been misdiagnosed, not diagnosed at all, or treated incorrectly which could have triggered and resulted in their drug or alcohol use issues. Establishing the truth that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not simply helps establish an effective treatment plan for them, but can also help clients better determine what triggered their drug abuse and the way to prevent it later on. Handling dual diagnosis might be a more extensive process than the usual typical drug rehab program, and folks with a dual diagnosis might need to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include proper medical support in addition to further treatment services. Being identified as having co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the individual must be medicated through out their lives either, and in fact a lot of people who have a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are employed.