Drug detox and alcohol detoxification is often a process that a person who has been dependent and addicted to drugs and alcohol must experience if they stop using drugs and alcohol abruptly. Those who abuse alcohol and drugs can't stop or don't want to stop using these substances because they know they'll have to detox, which can be very uncomfortable and also painful in some instances. Thankfully, treatment professionals in alcohol and drug treatment centers are trained and experienced with the drug detox and alcohol detoxification process and ways to make this process as smooth and safe as possible. It is possible to avoid certain withdrawal symptoms, make them more manageable, or otherwise make them tolerable while they last which can be typically only a matter of days. People who go through drug detox or alcohol detoxification should not stop here, and leaving rehabilitation after only achieving this makes all efforts to this point mute. This is because those who only detox and don't receive any further rehabilitation do equally as well as someone who never received any rehab to begin with. Detox isn't treatment, so individuals who undergo drug detox and alcohol detoxification must invest in an extensive treatment plan addresses every aspect of their addiction.