Drug addiction may be of different types. Even addiction to nicotine and alcohol falls under drug addiction. Nicotine found in tobacco and cigarettes is also a harmful drug. Usually to become an addict, the person needs a long time exposure to alcohol and nicotine, whereas in heroin and steroids, the addiction is instantaneous. Detoxification process is usually done to remove toxins and other harmful substances from the body by dialysis, chelation therapy which helps a person return to homeostasis, which refers to condition of equilibrium after prolonged addiction.

Detoxification can use medication or also be free of medication. Usually detox in rehabilitation centers can last up to many months to help the person completely de-addict himself and remove toxic substances from the body. Treatment is given to avoid withdrawal symptoms which are common during drug detox. In alcohol detoxification, the absence of GABA, an inhibitor should be compensated when the body returns to normal. So other treatments along with detoxification should be undergone. In the absence of suitable medical treatment, it may prove fatal. Intervention forms an integral part of fighting drug addiction. It may be either direct or indirect. In direct drug intervention the counselor directly talks to the addict. This is the most common form. However in indirect type the counselor interacts with the family members of the addict who in turn support the addict.