A lot of people don't understand this completely once they start a methadone maintenance program, but methadone being a prescription medicine doesn't in fact effectively resolve opiate addiction. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or abused illegally, creates considerable dependence which is way more severe than other opiates including heroin. For this reason, individuals who would like to get off of methadone will likely need to undergo methadone detoxification with the aid of rehabilitation specialists. Whoever has tried to stop methadone use independently abruptly can advise you that this is practically impossible, and many relapse rapidly. With expert methadone detoxification, there is certainly hope for those who need to get off of the drug forever. Within a drug detoxification program alcohol and drug treatment center which handled methadone dependence and addiction rehabilitation professionals do everything they can to relieve withdrawal symptoms and ensure methadone detoxification is a safe process. There are no real health threats associated with methadone detoxification when the person is healthy, but this isn't always the case. Illness due to substance abuse might make methadone detoxification dangerous, which is another reason folks should undergo methadone detoxification within a professional facility.