Detoxification is generally the initial step in getting off drugs. It makes it possible for a particular person 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 common mistake that a lot of addicts make is to assume 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 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.