Drug detox and alcohol detoxification is a process that a person who has been addicted and dependent to drugs and alcohol must experience after they stop using drugs and alcohol suddenly. People who abuse drugs and alcohol can't stop or don't wish to stop abusing drug or alcohol simply because they know they've got to detox, which is often extremely uncomfortable and even painful occasionally. Luckily, treatment professionals in drug and alcohol rehab programs are skilled and experienced with the drug detox and alcohol detoxification process and the ways to make this process as smooth and safe as possible. It is possible to avoid certain withdrawal symptoms, make sure they are more manageable, or otherwise make sure they are tolerable while they last which is typically only a few days. Individuals who proceed through drug detox or alcohol detoxification should not stop here, and departing treatment after only achieving this makes all efforts to this point mute. This is because folks who only detox and don't receive any further rehabilitation do just as well as someone who never participated in any treatment in the first place. Detoxification isn't treatment, so people who undergo drug detox and alcohol detoxification should invest in a thorough treatment plan which covers all aspects of their drug or alcohol addiction.