Lots of people don't understand this fully once they commence a methadone maintenance program, but methadone being a prescription drug doesn't actually treat opiate addiction. Methadone, whether included in an opiate maintenance program or abused illegally, produces significant dependence which is far more severe than other opiates such as heroin. For that reason, individuals who want to get off of methadone will likely need to undergo methadone detoxification with the help of treatment professionals. Whoever has tried to stop methadone use on their own cold turkey can tell you that this is virtually impossible, and many relapse very quickly. With expert methadone detoxification, there's hope for many who desire to get off of the drug once and for all. In an alcohol and drug detoxification program drug and alcohol rehabilitation center which handled methadone dependency and addiction treatment specialists do everything they can to ease withdrawal symptoms and ensure methadone detoxification is really a safe course of action. There are no real health risks associated with methadone detoxification if the individual is healthy, however this isn't always true. Bad health as a result of drug abuse could make methadone detoxification risky, and is another reason folks should undergo methadone detoxification inside a specialist setting.