Many people don't understand this fully once they commence a methadone maintenance program, but methadone as a prescription drug doesn't in fact effectively resolve opiate addiction. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or abused illegally, produces significant dependence which is way more extreme than other opiates such as heroin. For that reason, individuals who wish to get off of methadone will have to undergo methadone detoxification with the aid of rehabilitation specialists. Individuals who have tried to stop methadone use independently cold turkey can tell you that this is almost impossible, and many relapse very quickly. With expert methadone detoxification, there's hope for many who would like to abstain from the drug once and for all. Within a drug detoxification facility drug and alcohol treatment facility which deals with methadone dependence and addiction rehabilitation experts do everything they can to ease withdrawal symptoms and make sure methadone detoxification is a safe process. There are no real health problems related to methadone detoxification in the event the individual is in good health, however this isn't always true. Bad health due to drug or alcohol use may make methadone detoxification risky, and is one more reason individuals should undergo methadone detoxification inside a professional setting.