Many people don't understand this completely whenever they begin a methadone maintenance program, but methadone being a prescription medication doesn't actually effectively resolve opiate addiction. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or abused illicitly, creates considerable dependence which is far more extreme than other opiates including heroin. For this reason, individuals who would like to stop use of methadone will have to undergo methadone detoxification with the aid of rehabilitation professionals. Anyone who has attempted to stop methadone use on their own cold turkey can tell you that this is virtually impossible, and most relapse rapidly. With expert methadone detoxification, there is hope for those who wish to abstain from the drug forever. Inside a drug detox program alcohol and drug treatment center which deals with methadone dependency and addiction treatment experts do everything they can to relieve withdrawal symptoms and make sure methadone detoxification is a safe course of action. There aren't any real health hazards related to methadone detoxification if the individual is healthy, however this isn't always true. Illness due to substance abuse might make methadone detoxification dangerous, and is another reason people should undergo methadone detoxification within a professional facility.