Drug detox and alcohol detoxification is a process that a person who has been addicted and dependent to drugs and alcohol will have to experience when they stop using these substances abruptly. People who abuse alcohol and drugs can't stop or don't wish to stop abusing drug or alcohol because they know they're going to have to detox, which is often extremely uncomfortable and also painful sometimes. Thankfully, treatment professionals in alcohol and drug treatment programs are skilled and familiar with the drug detox and alcohol detoxification process and the ways to make this process as smooth and safe as is possible. There are ways 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. Folks who undergo drug detox or alcohol detoxification must not stop at this point, and departing treatment after only accomplishing this makes all progress to this point mute. This is due to the fact that those who only detox and don't receive any further rehabilitation fare as well as someone who never received any rehab to start with. Detoxification isn't rehabilitation, so people who undergo drug detox and alcohol detoxification should agree to an extensive treatment plan addresses all aspects of their drug or alcohol addiction.