Detoxification is normally the 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 different types of detoxification. Theyrange from drug-free to medically supervised. A typical mistake that many addicts make is to assume that detox is enough to kick their habit. This is almost never the case. All detox does is get someone through the withdrawal when they stop using. It is often recommended that detox be followed up with some type of treatment plan to learn the root of why somebody was using drugs in the first place.