Recovery from a severe drug or alcohol addiction is nearly impossible without a person first undergoing a detox program. These programs are designed to rid the body of all traces of drugs or alcohol, thus reducing or eliminating physical cravings for these substances. Cravings, along with physical withdraw symptoms, occur when our bodies sense that no more of the substance is being ingested.

What little of the addicting substance is left in the body, whether it be drugs or alcohol, will literally cause physical cravings. For example, alcohol detox centers will eliminate all traces of alcohol in a person’s body before attempting treatment for alcoholism.

Detox centers all have the same goal; to clean the body of the addicting substance. They do use different methods to achieve their goals. Success is not always measured by simply ridding the body of the addicting substance as anyone can do this with enough time.

A successful detox program is one where the person who is undergoing detox treatment is made as comfortable as possible and kept safe from potentially dangerous physical withdraw symptoms. No alcohol or drug treatment program can hope to have much success unless their program participants have no more of the physically addicting substances in their bodies. Physical cravings for drugs or alcohol are one of the main reasons for relapses.