Many people don't understand this completely once they start a methadone maintenance program, but methadone as a prescription drug doesn't actually effectively resolve opiate addiction. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or abused illicitly, creates significant dependence which is way more extreme than most other opiates including heroin. Because of this, individuals who would like to get off of methadone will likely need to undergo methadone detoxification with the help of rehabilitation specialists. Anyone who has attempted to stop methadone use on their own cold turkey can tell you that this is almost impossible, and many relapse quickly. With expert methadone detoxification, there is hope for those who would like to get off of the drug once and for all. Inside a drug detox program alcohol and drug treatment program which deals with methadone dependency and addiction rehabilitation specialists do everything they can to help relieve withdrawal symptoms and make certain methadone detoxification is a safe course of action. There are no real health threats linked to methadone detoxification in the event the individual is healthy, however, this isn't always the case. Poor health due to substance abuse might make methadone detoxification dangerous, which is one more reason individuals should undergo methadone detoxification within a specialist facility.