Detoxification is usually the initial 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 various types of detoxification. Theyrange from drug-free to medically supervised. A prevalent mistake that many addicts make is to feel that detox is sufficient 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 always recommended that detox be followed up with some type of treatment plan to uncover the root of why someone was using drugs in the first place.