Drug detox and alcohol detoxification is a process that a person who has been dependent and addicted to drugs and alcohol must undergo if they stop using drugs and alcohol abruptly. Individuals who abuse alcohol and drugs can't stop or don't desire to stop abusing drug or alcohol because they know they'll have to detox, which is often extremely uncomfortable and even painful in some instances. Thankfully, treatment professionals in drug and alcohol rehab programs are skilled and experienced in the drug detox and alcohol detoxification process and the way to make this course of action as smooth and safe as possible. You can avert certain withdrawal symptoms, make them more manageable, or otherwise make them bearable while they last which is typically only a matter of days. Those who experience drug detox or alcohol detoxification should never stop at this point, and leaving rehab after only accomplishing this makes all progress to this point mute. This is because folks who only detox and receive no further treatment do equally as well as someone who never participated in any rehab to begin with. Detoxification isn't treatment, so people who undergo drug detox and alcohol detoxification should invest in an extensive treatment plan which covers every aspect of their drug or alcohol addiction.