Lots of people don't understand this fully once they start a methadone maintenance program, but methadone being a prescription medicine doesn't actually effectively resolve opiate addiction. Methadone, whether included in an opiate maintenance program or abused illegally, creates considerable dependence which is way more extreme than most other opiates including heroin. For this reason, individuals who wish to get off of methadone will need to undergo methadone detoxification with the help of rehab specialists. Individuals who have tried to stop methadone use on their own cold turkey can tell you that this is almost impossible, and most relapse in a short time. With professional methadone detoxification, there's hope for individuals who need to get off of the drug once and for all. In a drug detox program drug and alcohol treatment program which treats methadone dependency and addiction rehab specialists work tirelessly to relieve withdrawal symptoms and ensure methadone detoxification is a safe process. There are no real health risks linked to methadone detoxification if the individual is in good health, but this isn't always the case. Illness as a consequence of substance abuse might make methadone detoxification dangerous, and is one more reason individuals should undergo methadone detoxification in a specialist facility.