new heights

First Time’s a Charm New Heights resident goes all in for recovery, and it’s paying off

For as long as addiction has been studied, genetic and environmental factors have accounted for its presence in individuals. For Rachel Anthony, opioid dependency seems to have its roots in both nature and nurture. “My dad was a heroin addict, and he taught me pretty early on to drug seek,” says Anthony, who began abusing painkillers at age 13. The prescriptions were in steady supply from early on as a result of multiple surgeries during her childhood. As the dependency progressed, she began using heroin, and added methamphetamine into the mix. In her 20s, “things really got out of hand” when she found herself homeless, out of work, and without any contact to her family. “I had made myself truly untrustable and it had nothing but negative effects on my life,” she says. After four years on the streets, she was sentenced to nine months in prison, which forced her to suffer through withdrawals behind bars, and meanwhile instilled in her a new resolve to never return to the lifestyle that led her there. “I knew I had enough,” says Anthony. “I want a sober life. I want something more to grasp at than the daily grind.”

“I knew I had enough.” -Rachel Anthony resident New Heights Sober House, LLC

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