Many individuals don't realize this fully whenever they begin a methadone maintenance program, but methadone as a prescription medicine doesn't in fact treat opiate addiction. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or abused illicitly, produces considerable dependence which is far more severe than most other opiates including heroin. Because of this, individuals who wish to stop use of methadone will likely need to undergo methadone detoxification with the help of rehab professionals. Whoever has tried to stop methadone use independently abruptly can tell you that this is nearly impossible, and most relapse very quickly. With expert methadone detoxification, there is hope for those who need to get off of the drug completely. Within a drug and alcohol detoxification center drug treatment facility which treats methadone dependency and addiction treatment specialists do everything they can to ease withdrawal symptoms and make certain methadone detoxification is a safe process. There won't be any real health threats related to methadone detoxification when the individual is in good health, however, this isn't always the case. Illness as a consequence of substance abuse might make methadone detoxification dangerous, which is another reason people should undergo methadone detoxification in a professional setting.