A lot of people don't understand this fully when they start a methadone maintenance program, but methadone being a prescription medicine doesn't in fact treat opiate addiction. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or abused illegally, creates significant dependence which is way more severe than other opiates including heroin. For this reason, individuals who want to stop use of methadone will have to undergo methadone detoxification with the aid of treatment specialists. Those who have tried to stop methadone use on their own cold turkey can advise you that this is almost impossible, and most relapse in a short time. With professional methadone detoxification, there is certainly hope for individuals who would like to abstain from the drug forever. Within an alcohol and drug detoxification facility drug rehab program which handled methadone dependency and addiction rehabilitation professionals do everything they can to relieve withdrawal symptoms and make sure methadone detoxification is a safe course of action. There won't be any real health risks connected with methadone detoxification in the event the individual is in good health, however, this isn't always true. Illness as a consequence of drug abuse could make methadone detoxification risky, which is one more reason people should undergo methadone detoxification in a specialist facility.