A lot of people don't understand this fully when they commence a methadone maintenance program, but methadone being a prescription medicine doesn't actually treat opiate dependency. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or abused illicitly, produces significant dependence which is much more severe than other opiates including heroin. Because of this, individuals who would like to stop use of methadone will need to undergo methadone detoxification with the aid of rehabilitation specialists. Whoever has attempted to stop methadone use on their own cold turkey can advise you that this is virtually impossible, and many relapse quickly. With expert methadone detoxification, there's hope for individuals who desire to get off of the drug completely. Inside a drug detoxification program drug and alcohol treatment center which deals with methadone dependency and addiction treatment experts work tirelessly to help ease withdrawal symptoms and ensure methadone detoxification is a safe process. There aren't any real health risks related to methadone detoxification if the individual is healthy, but this isn't always true. Poor health as a consequence of drug abuse may make methadone detoxification dangerous, which is another reason folks should undergo methadone detoxification in a specialist setting.