Detoxification is usually the very first step in getting off drugs. It permits a person to be in a supervised setting while they go through withdrawal symptoms for drugs and/or alcohol. There are diverse types of detoxification. Theyvary from drug-free to medically supervised. A common mistake that many addicts make is to feel 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 usually recommended that detox be followed up with some type of treatment plan to discover the root of why somebody was using drugs in the first place.