Drug and alcohol detox does not have to be a distressing process, as it can be managed and made entirely safe in the event the individual detoxing is in the hands of detox specialists. People who are detoxing may well not recognize that besides the withdrawal and other effects one experiences during detoxification, their overall health may very well be at risk. Specific substances may cause seizures as well as other severe symptoms that could be life threatening during detox. Alcohol is a good example of this, and anybody that is detoxing from alcohol needs to be treated inside a specialist setting like a detoxification facility or drug and alcohol rehabilitation program in order to avoid any serious symptoms. Specific pharmaceutical drugs also trigger such symptoms, and it's never safe to abruptly quit using any kind of pharmaceutical drug unless within a drug and alcohol detoxification facility or medical. Problems can arise with other drugs also, if one's health has been compromised because of drug abuse, as is often the case. Specialists will assess a person's drug and alcohol use history after they arrive for alcohol and drug detox, and determine if any particular intervention is needed and ensure that alcohol and drug detox is a safe and smooth process.