A lot of people don't understand this completely whenever they commence a methadone maintenance program, but methadone as a prescription medication doesn't in fact treat opiate addiction. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or used illegally, creates significant dependence which is far more extreme than most other opiates like heroin. For that reason, individuals who would like to stop use of methadone will likely need to undergo methadone detoxification with the help of rehab specialists. Whoever has attempted to stop methadone use on their own cold turkey can tell you that this is almost impossible, and most relapse quickly. With professional methadone detoxification, there is certainly hope for those who need to get off of the drug completely. Within an alcohol and drug detox facility alcohol and drug treatment program which handled methadone dependency and addiction treatment professionals do everything they can to help ease withdrawal symptoms and make sure methadone detoxification is a safe process. There are no real health problems linked to methadone detoxification when the individual is healthy, however this isn't always the case. Bad health as a result of drug abuse might make methadone detoxification risky, and is another reason individuals should undergo methadone detoxification within a specialist facility.