Detoxification is commonly the very first step in getting off drugs. It allows a particular person to be in a supervised environment while they go through withdrawal symptoms for drugs and/or alcohol. There are various types of detoxification. Theyrange from drug-free to medically supervised. A common mistake that many addicts make is to think that detox is sufficient to kick their habit. This is rarely the case. All detox does is get someone 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 a person was using drugs in the first place.