Detoxification is usually the first step in getting off drugs. It allows an individual to be in a supervised environment while they go through withdrawal symptoms for drugs and/or alcohol. There are different types of detoxification. Theyrange from drug-free to medically supervised. A frequent mistake that quite a few addicts make is to think that detox is sufficient to kick their habit. This is almost never the case. All detox does is get an individual 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 somebody was using drugs in the first place.