Detoxification is typically the very first step in getting off drugs. It allows a person to be in a supervised environment while they go through withdrawal symptoms for drugs and/or alcohol. There are different types of detoxification. Theyvary from drug-free to medically supervised. A typical mistake that many addicts make is to believe that detox is sufficient to kick their habit. This is almost never the case. All detox does is get somebody through the withdrawal when they stop using. It is usually recommended that detox be followed up with some type of treatment plan to learn the root of why someone was using drugs in the first place.