Detoxification is generally the first step in getting off drugs. It makes it possible for a person to be in a supervised environment while they go through withdrawal symptoms for drugs and/or alcohol. There are various types of detoxification. Theyrange from drug-free to medically supervised. A frequent mistake that a lot of addicts make is to feel that detox is enough to kick their habit. This is rarely the case. All detox does is get somebody through the withdrawal when they stop using. It is always recommended that detox be followed up with some type of treatment plan to discover the root of why somebody was using drugs in the first place.