Lots of people don't understand this fully once they commence a methadone maintenance program, but methadone as a prescription medication doesn't actually treat opiate addiction. Methadone, whether included in an opiate maintenance program or used illegally, creates considerable dependence which is much more extreme than most other opiates such as heroin. For this reason, individuals who wish to stop use of methadone will need to undergo methadone detoxification with the help of treatment specialists. Anyone who has tried to stop methadone use by themselves cold turkey can tell you that this is practically impossible, and most relapse very quickly. With professional methadone detoxification, there is certainly hope for many who would like to get off of the drug completely. In a drug and alcohol detox center alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility which deals with methadone dependence and addiction rehabilitation specialists do everything they can to help relieve withdrawal symptoms and make certain methadone detoxification is really a safe course of action. There are no real health risks associated with methadone detoxification when the individual is healthy, but this isn't always true. Illness because of drug abuse could make methadone detoxification risky, and is one more reason people should undergo methadone detoxification inside a specialist setting.