From the outside looking in, Rachel Arnold had everything going for her. Married in her early 20s, she received certification as a veterinary technician, secured her bachelor’s degree from Auburn University, followed by her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine, and had welcomed her son into the world.
But inwardly, each step forward in Arnold’s personal life and career was fueled by a need to prove that she had grown beyond a childhood of trauma which stemmed from a contentious relationship with her father. In spite of her professional and educational success, Arnold struggled with a secret drug addiction.
In her early teens, Arnold was first prescribed anti-anxiety medication. By the time she was 15, Arnold was hooked on pills and also began drinking. By the age of 17, she had escalated to using stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamines…