Detoxification is usually 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 different types of detoxification. Theyvary from drug-free to medically supervised. A frequent mistake that many addicts make is to assume that detox is enough to kick their habit. This is rarely the case. All detox does is get someone through the withdrawal when they stop using. It is often recommended that detox be followed up with some type of treatment plan to find out the root of why a person was using drugs in the first place.