Detoxification is generally the first step in getting off drugs. It enables a particular 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 frequent mistake that many addicts make is to think 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 always 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.