Lots of people don't understand this fully when they begin a methadone maintenance program, but methadone as a prescription medicine doesn't in fact effectively resolve opiate dependency. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or abused illegally, creates considerable dependence which is way more severe than most other opiates including heroin. For this reason, individuals who wish to get off of methadone will have to undergo methadone detoxification with the help of treatment professionals. Anyone who has tried to stop methadone use on their own cold turkey can tell you that this is practically impossible, and many relapse quickly. With expert methadone detoxification, there's hope for many who would like to get off of the drug for good. Inside a drug and alcohol detoxification program alcohol and drug rehabilitation center which deals with methadone dependence and addiction rehabilitation specialists do everything they can to help ease withdrawal symptoms and ensure methadone detoxification is a safe course of action. There aren't any real health problems related to methadone detoxification when the individual is in good health, however, this isn't always true. Bad health due to drug or alcohol use could make methadone detoxification risky, and is one more reason folks should undergo methadone detoxification inside a specialist setting.