Alcoholism or drug addiction is a very significant problem, in fact it is a disease. Someone who is suffering from alcohol or drug addiction is generally incapable of simply stopping by themselves. In fact, the inability to stop using drugs despite an effort to do so is a defining attribute of drug addiction. A generally accepted method of addiction recovery generally has three components. Detoxification is the beginning, or first step in the process. This involves weaning the person off their drugs in a stable and safe manner to decrease withdrawal effects. Once the person is off the drugs, an addiction treatment program, or drug rehab is recommended; this is the second step. The third step, and often the most missed part of overcoming addiction is continuing care, or aftercare. This means follow-up care addiction professional or an outpatient program and implementing a relapse prevention plan to sustain addiction recovery. If you, or someone you care about, is having difficulty with drugs or alcohol, the preliminary point to get them into treatment or in the hands of a professional for an assessment. Despite a lot of talk about addiction treatment not working, the true fact is that treatment works.