In his new memoir, David B. Bohl reveals the inner turmoil and broad spectrum of warring emotions – shame, anger, triumph, shyness, pride – he experienced growing up as a relinquished boy. Adopted at birth by a prosperous family, Bohl battled throughout his earlier years to keep up a good front and surpass expectations as he tried desperately to fit in. Despite a life of success, he became dependent on pills and alcohol.
Not until David marries and has children of his own does he feel compelled to search for his birth parents to discover if genetics played a role in the well-being of his offspring. ‘Baby Boy Bender,’ as he was labeled in the adoption papers, had been born to a woman who struggled with alcoholism and an athlete who later died of a brain tumor.
Alcohol once controlled his life; it was his sole coping skill. But slowly he discovered that the process helped him heal. As Bohl says, “My hope is that my story and my experiences can give others the courage to find their own way and to go beyond the struggles that they may be carrying with them.”
About the author: David B. Bohl is a Milwaukee-based independent addiction consultant at Beacon Confidential, LLC.
