A lot of people don't understand this fully when they start a methadone maintenance program, but methadone as a prescription medicine doesn't actually effectively resolve opiate addiction. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or used illicitly, creates considerable dependence which is much more severe than other opiates like heroin. For that reason, individuals who would like to stop use of methadone will need to undergo methadone detoxification with the help of treatment specialists. Anyone who has tried to stop methadone use independently cold turkey can advise you that this is virtually impossible, and many relapse quickly. With professional methadone detoxification, there is hope for many who desire to get off of the drug once and for all. Within an alcohol and drug detoxification facility alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility which handled methadone dependence and addiction treatment specialists do everything they can to ease withdrawal symptoms and make certain methadone detoxification is a safe course of action. There aren't any real health risks linked to methadone detoxification if the individual is healthy, however, this isn't always true. Poor health because of substance abuse may make methadone detoxification risky, which is one more reason individuals should undergo methadone detoxification within a professional facility.