Many individuals don't understand this completely when they start a methadone maintenance program, but methadone being a prescription medicine doesn't actually treat opiate dependency. Methadone, whether included in an opiate maintenance program or abused illicitly, produces considerable dependence which is way more extreme than other opiates such as heroin. For that reason, individuals who want to stop use of methadone will need to undergo methadone detoxification with the aid of rehab professionals. Anyone who has tried to stop methadone use independently cold turkey can tell you that this is almost impossible, and many relapse rapidly. With expert methadone detoxification, there's hope for many who need to get off of the drug completely. Inside a drug detox program drug treatment program which treats methadone dependence and addiction rehab experts do everything they can to relieve withdrawal symptoms and ensure methadone detoxification is really a safe course of action. There won't be any real health risks related to methadone detoxification when the person is in good health, however, this isn't always true. Poor health due to drug abuse might make methadone detoxification dangerous, and is one more reason folks should undergo methadone detoxification in a professional setting.