Lots of people don't realize this completely whenever they start a methadone maintenance program, but methadone as a prescription medicine doesn't in fact treat opiate dependency. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or used illicitly, produces significant dependence which is much more extreme than most other opiates such as heroin. For this reason, individuals who would like to stop use of methadone will likely need to undergo methadone detoxification with the help of treatment professionals. Anyone who has attempted to stop methadone use independently cold turkey can tell you that this is virtually impossible, and many relapse quickly. With expert methadone detoxification, there is hope for individuals who would like to abstain from the drug completely. Within an alcohol and drug detox program alcohol and drug rehab center which deals with methadone dependency and addiction rehab experts do everything they can to help ease withdrawal symptoms and make sure methadone detoxification is really a safe process. There aren't any real health problems related to methadone detoxification when the person is healthy, however this isn't always true. Poor health as a consequence of drug abuse could make methadone detoxification risky, and is one more reason folks should undergo methadone detoxification within a specialist setting.