Many people don't understand this completely once they start a methadone maintenance program, but methadone as a prescription drug doesn't actually treat opiate addiction. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or abused illegally, creates significant dependence which is much more extreme than most other opiates like heroin. For this reason, individuals who want to stop use of methadone will need to undergo methadone detoxification with the help of rehabilitation professionals. Whoever has attempted to stop methadone use independently cold turkey can advise you that this is almost impossible, and most relapse in a short time. With expert methadone detoxification, there's hope for those who need to get off of the drug once and for all. Inside an alcohol and drug detoxification center alcohol and drug treatment program which handled methadone dependency and addiction rehab specialists do everything they can to help relieve withdrawal symptoms and ensure methadone detoxification is really a safe process. There aren't any real health problems associated with methadone detoxification when the individual is healthy, but this isn't always true. Poor health as a result of substance abuse might make methadone detoxification risky, and is one more reason folks should undergo methadone detoxification inside a professional setting.