Many individuals don't understand this fully once they commence a methadone maintenance program, but methadone as a prescription medication doesn't in fact treat opiate addiction. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or used illicitly, creates considerable dependence which is far more extreme than other opiates such as heroin. For that reason, individuals who wish to get off of methadone will need to undergo methadone detoxification with the help of rehab professionals. Individuals who have tried to stop methadone use independently cold turkey can tell you that this is practically impossible, and most relapse quickly. With expert methadone detoxification, there is certainly hope for many who need to get off of the drug once and for all. Within a drug detoxification program drug and alcohol rehab program which treats methadone dependence and addiction treatment professionals do everything they can to ease withdrawal symptoms and make sure methadone detoxification is a safe course of action. There won't be any real health hazards associated with methadone detoxification if the person is healthy, but this isn't always true. Bad health as a result of drug abuse might make methadone detoxification dangerous, which is another reason folks should undergo methadone detoxification inside a professional setting.