Detoxification is normally the initial step in getting off drugs. It allows a person to be in a supervised setting while they go through withdrawal symptoms for drugs and/or alcohol. There are different 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 rarely the case. All detox does is get an individual through the withdrawal when they stop using. It is always recommended that detox be followed up with some type of treatment plan to learn the root of why someone was using drugs in the first place.