Many individuals don't understand this completely when they begin a methadone maintenance program, but methadone being a prescription medication doesn't in fact treat opiate dependency. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or used illicitly, creates significant dependence which is way more extreme than other opiates such as heroin. Due to this, individuals who would like to get off of methadone will likely need to undergo methadone detoxification with the aid of treatment specialists. Whoever has attempted to stop methadone use independently cold turkey can tell you that this is virtually impossible, and most relapse quickly. With expert methadone detoxification, there's hope for many who wish to get off of the drug completely. Within a drug detox facility drug and alcohol rehab program which handled methadone dependency and addiction rehab specialists do everything they can to ease withdrawal symptoms and make sure methadone detoxification is a safe process. There aren't any real health threats connected with methadone detoxification when the person is in good health, but this isn't always the case. Illness because of substance abuse might make methadone detoxification risky, which is one more reason people should undergo methadone detoxification within a specialist setting.