A lot of people don't understand this fully when they start a methadone maintenance program, but methadone as a prescription drug doesn't in fact treat opiate addiction. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or abused illicitly, produces significant dependence which is way more extreme than other opiates like heroin. For that reason, individuals who would like to stop use of methadone will need to undergo methadone detoxification with the aid of rehab specialists. Anyone who has tried to stop methadone use on their own abruptly can tell you that this is almost impossible, and most relapse very quickly. With professional methadone detoxification, there is hope for those who desire to get off of the drug completely. In a drug detoxification facility drug rehab facility which treats methadone dependency and addiction rehab specialists do everything they can to help ease withdrawal symptoms and make sure methadone detoxification is a safe process. There are no real health risks related to methadone detoxification when the individual is healthy, however, this isn't always true. Bad health due to substance abuse might make methadone detoxification risky, and is another reason individuals should undergo methadone detoxification inside a specialist setting.