Many individuals don't understand this completely when they commence a methadone maintenance program, but methadone being a prescription medication doesn't actually effectively resolve opiate dependency. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or abused illicitly, creates significant dependence which is far more severe than most other opiates including heroin. For that reason, individuals who want to get off of methadone will likely need to undergo methadone detoxification with the help of rehab professionals. Anyone who has attempted to stop methadone use independently cold turkey can tell you that this is nearly impossible, and many relapse very quickly. With professional methadone detoxification, there's hope for individuals who desire to get off of the drug completely. Within a drug detoxification center alcohol and drug treatment center which treats methadone dependency and addiction rehabilitation professionals work tirelessly to help ease withdrawal symptoms and make sure methadone detoxification is a safe course of action. There won't be any real health problems linked to methadone detoxification in the event the individual is healthy, however this isn't always true. Poor health due to substance abuse might make methadone detoxification dangerous, and is another reason folks should undergo methadone detoxification inside a specialist setting.