A lot of people don't realize this completely whenever they begin a methadone maintenance program, but methadone as a prescription drug doesn't in fact treat opiate addiction. Methadone, whether included in an opiate maintenance program or used illicitly, creates considerable dependence which is much more extreme than other opiates such as heroin. For this reason, individuals who would like to stop use of methadone will need to undergo methadone detoxification with the aid of treatment professionals. Anyone who has attempted to stop methadone use independently cold turkey can advise you that this is virtually impossible, and many relapse quickly. With professional methadone detoxification, there's hope for individuals who desire to abstain from the drug completely. Within a drug and alcohol detoxification facility drug rehabilitation program which deals with methadone dependency and addiction rehab experts do everything they can to help ease withdrawal symptoms and make sure methadone detoxification is really a safe course of action. There won't be any real health risks related to methadone detoxification if the individual is healthy, however this isn't always the case. Poor health as a consequence of substance abuse could make methadone detoxification dangerous, which is another reason individuals should undergo methadone detoxification within a professional setting.