Many individuals don't understand this fully whenever they begin 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 way more severe than other opiates including heroin. For that reason, individuals who would like to get off of methadone will likely need to undergo methadone detoxification with the aid of rehab professionals. Whoever has attempted to stop methadone use on their own cold turkey can tell you that this is almost impossible, and most relapse very quickly. With expert methadone detoxification, there is certainly hope for individuals who would like to get off of the drug completely. In an alcohol and drug detoxification program alcohol and drug rehab program which deals with methadone dependence and addiction treatment specialists do everything they can to ease withdrawal symptoms and make sure methadone detoxification is a safe course of action. There are no real health threats connected with methadone detoxification in the event the person is healthy, however, this isn't always true. Illness as a result of drug or alcohol use may make methadone detoxification dangerous, and is one more reason folks should undergo methadone detoxification inside a professional setting.