HILAND PARK — Last year, Cassie Anthony was in jail and pregnant.
“I had a lot of substance abuse problems,” Anthony said. “I realized I had to change my people, places and things.”
The Transformation Recovery Mission is helping Anthony, 24, make those changes, but she said her transformation actually began while she was in jail for possession of methamphetamines and marijuana.
Anthony learned how to safeguard her life against addiction through the jail’s county-funded Lifeline Program, an in-house, three-phase behavior modification program that helps inmates prepare to reintegrate into society.
According to the jail’s website, inmates with a history of substance abuse follow a personalized regimen to learn resilience against chemical dependency issues that cause legal, socioeconomic and medical problems. They learn coping skills and build a relapse prevention plan.
“Now that I’m sober, I feel free,” Anthony said. “Lifeline saved me. It’s given me a chance to change what I learned growing up.”
Anthony said she grew up in foster care and was exposed to drug abuse in her childhood. She also dropped out of high school in the 10th grade. She feels those experiences helped paved the way for her struggles due to addiction and lack of education.
In spite of these issues, Anthony managed to take care of her 5-year-old son, Hayden.
Anthony stays on track with weekly counseling at the mission. She said being sober for the past year has allowed her to enjoy life’s little pleasures again, like drinking coffee and eating good food.
With each passing day, Anthony is learning she can stand on her own two feet without her former vices.
“Just because you clean up doesn’t mean your life gets simpler,” she said. “You still have daily struggles and fights.”
Anthony completed the Lifeline Program before her release from jail. A week after she got out, Anthony gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Tommy.
“I’m way stronger than I thought I was, but honestly it was God that helped deliver me from my addiction,” she said.
Anthony has lived at the mission for seven months now and works part-time at Waterworx Car Wash. She plans to get her GED and dreams of becoming a nurse, “even if it’s only a CNA.”
“That’s what I want in my life,” she said.