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. Theyvary from drug-free to medically supervised. A common mistake that a lot of addicts make is to believe that detox is sufficient to kick their habit. This is hardly ever the case. All detox does is get an individual through the withdrawal when they stop using. It is usually recommended that detox be followed up with some type of treatment plan to find out the root of why someone was using drugs in the first place.