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Detoxification allows patients who are dependent or addicted to a substance to overcome the symptoms of withdrawal so that they can stop their reliance on the substance. With proper medical supervision, the symptoms of withdrawal can be prevented or treated. However, many withdrawal symptoms can still occur. These can often be quite painful or distressing. Still, these reduced withdrawal symptoms are typically a better option than the dangerous consequences of withdrawal without medical supervision. Even after the substance has been removed from the patient’s body and physical dependence has been treated, lingering effects of withdrawal (e.g., anxiety, cravings) may continue. These are dealt with in further substance abuse treatment.

In many cases, the medications used in the treatment of substance withdrawal have their own potential for abuse. Many of these medications, including benzodiazepines, may lead to addiction and dependency and the need for detoxification. However, when taken as directed under medical supervision, this risk is low.