Drug detox and alcohol detoxification is often a process that a person who has been dependent and addicted to drugs and alcohol will have to experience after they stop using these substances abruptly. Folks who abuse drugs and alcohol can't stop or don't want to stop using these substances given that they know they're going to have to detox, which is often extremely uncomfortable and even painful sometimes. Thankfully, treatment professionals in drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs are skilled and experienced in the drug detox and alcohol detoxification process and how to make this process as smooth and safe as is possible. There are ways to avoid certain withdrawal symptoms, make sure they are more manageable, or otherwise make them tolerable while they last which can be typically only a matter of days. Those who proceed through drug detox or alcohol detoxification should never stop at this point, and departing rehab after only accomplishing this makes all progress to this point mute. This is due to the fact that people who only detox and don't receive any further treatment do just as well as someone who never participated in any rehabilitation to begin with. Detoxification isn't treatment, so people who undergo drug detox and alcohol detoxification should commit to an extensive plan for treatment which covers all aspects of their drug or alcohol addiction.