Drug detox and alcohol detoxification is a process that someone who has been dependent and addicted to drugs and alcohol will have to experience if they stop using drugs and alcohol abruptly. Those who abuse drugs and alcohol can't stop or don't want to stop abusing drug or alcohol given that they know they're going to have to detox, which is often very uncomfortable and even painful in some instances. Thankfully, treatment professionals in drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs are skilled and experienced with the drug detox and alcohol detoxification process and how to make this course of action as comfortable and safe as is possible. It is possible to avert certain withdrawal symptoms, make sure they are more manageable, or otherwise make them tolerable while they last which can be typically only a few days. Folks who go through drug detox or alcohol detoxification must not stop at this point, and departing rehabilitation after only achieving this makes all progress this far mute. This is due to the fact that those who only detox and receive no further rehabilitation do just as well as someone who never received any treatment in the first place. Detoxification isn't treatment, so folks who undergo drug detox and alcohol detoxification should commit to a comprehensive treatment plan addresses all aspects of their drug or alcohol addiction.