A lot of people don't understand this fully once they start a methadone maintenance program, but methadone being a prescription medication doesn't in fact treat opiate dependency. Methadone, whether used as part of an opiate maintenance program or abused illegally, produces considerable dependence which is much more extreme than most other opiates including heroin. For this reason, individuals who would like to get off of methadone will likely need to undergo methadone detoxification with the aid of treatment professionals. Individuals who have attempted to stop methadone use independently abruptly can advise you that this is virtually impossible, and most relapse in a short time. With professional methadone detoxification, there's hope for many who would like to abstain from the drug completely. Inside a drug detoxification center drug rehab program which handled methadone dependency and addiction treatment professionals do everything they can to ease withdrawal symptoms and make sure methadone detoxification is really a safe course of action. There are no real health risks linked to methadone detoxification if the individual is healthy, but this isn't always true. Poor health due to drug or alcohol use might make methadone detoxification risky, and is another reason individuals should undergo methadone detoxification in a specialist setting.