15% of the South African population is prudently estimated to have a substance abuse problem. This statistic translates into 7.8 million South Africans having a problem with controlling the use and therefore abusing substances.

Substance abuse has become the modern day epidemic. The alcohol consumption of South Africans is said to be twice the global average and South Africa ranks amongst the top 10 Nations in alcohol consumption rankings. The average age of substance abuse experimentation is said to be 12 years and is expected to decrease. Primary and secondary treatment ages ranges from 9 years to 82 years old. The statistics are shocking and scary. Addiction and its direct and indirect consequences are frightening and efficient treatment programs are scarce and few.

Breaking the Chains Treatment and Recovery Centre is an in house patient primary care facility catering for both men and women, specializing in the treatment and rehabilitation of substance abuse addicts. The facility plays a crucial role in the National Master Drug Plan as one of the interventions identified at the level of Substance Abuse Harm Reduction.

Prior to Breaking the Chains becoming a recovery centre, the facility was previously inhabited by a seemingly normal family. A father, mother, son and little daughter. Daddy went to work, mummy stayed at home and made sure everything was nice and comfy. The boy played with his lego and the little girl played with her dolls. The backdrop to an extraordinary tale. It is an account of triumph over defeat. A story of absolute despair and of a remarkable journey to restoration. Restoration of not only one man, but the restoration of many others too.

The centre has opened its doors to patients since 8 December 2010 and has also been working with communities throughout South Africa. We have a very good success rate of dealing with drug addiction, most probably the best success rate in the country and many other countries too. We do not deal with only the addict but the family, as well as the extended families. BTC has helped thousands of people over the last 10 years. Our work ethic of whenever someone reaches out for help, then, BTC needs to be the hand to help out. For many years we have dealt with males, however, in the recent years, a number of females have also been helped. We have received many requests from females suffering, which thus resulted in the opening of a female recovery centre.

Addiction is a family disease and for every addict we help, there are at least 16 lives that are impacted positively.

Our objectives are:
1. Assist the addict in attaining freedom from substance abuse dependence
2. Assist the addict in the entire Recovery process
3. Reunite families affected directly or indirectly by addiction