A lot of people don't understand this completely once they commence a methadone maintenance program, but methadone as a prescription medication doesn't in fact effectively resolve opiate addiction. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or used illegally, produces considerable dependence which is way more severe than other opiates like heroin. For that reason, individuals who want to get off of methadone will likely need to undergo methadone detoxification with the aid of treatment specialists. Individuals who have attempted to stop methadone use by themselves abruptly can tell you that this is virtually impossible, and many relapse very quickly. With expert methadone detoxification, there's hope for those who wish to abstain from the drug once and for all. Within a drug detox facility alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility which treats methadone dependency and addiction treatment specialists do everything they can to ease withdrawal symptoms and ensure methadone detoxification is a safe process. There are no real health problems linked to methadone detoxification if the individual is healthy, however, this isn't always the case. Illness due to substance abuse may make methadone detoxification dangerous, and is one more reason people should undergo methadone detoxification within a professional facility.