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 diverse types of detoxification. Theyrange from drug-free to medically supervised. A common mistake that quite a few addicts make is to believe that detox is enough to kick their habit. This is almost never the case. All detox does is get a person through the withdrawal when they stop using. It is usually recommended that detox be followed up with some type of treatment plan to uncover the root of why a person was using drugs in the first place.