ADOPTION, ADDICTION, HEALING AND HELPING: A PERSONAL JOURNEY
ALL ABOUT LIVING with Carol Koby
on Hank AM 1550 & 97.7 FM
Streamed live on Hankonline.net
10:00-11:00 AM Saturdays
Programs posted on carolkobyradio.com
At seven days old, David Bohl was adopted into a loving family. Even as he was embraced and doted on by parents who told him he was special because he was adopted, he felt confused about who he was. Why had someone relinquished him? What was wrong with him? This feeling was reinforced when, at the age of six, he shared the exciting news that he was adopted with his friends. They were not impressed. Instead, their faces showed pity and embarrassment. David knew then he was right. He was different, bad, and he withdrew.
In his teenage years, David discovered that alcohol was a great coping mechanism to relieve his internal shame. His love affair with alcohol flourished. It accompanied him through high school, college, work, and into his family life. It kept him going – until it didn’t.
On this program, David Bohl describes his incredible journey and how he came to terms with his identity and the recognition that alcohol was destroying him. Recovery was a complicated process, but as with everything else, he pursued it with vigilance. What was his nemesis became his passion. Now 13 years sober, today he is helping others confront their pain and addiction. David went back to school to earn a Masters of Addiction Studies degree and is a licensed Addiction Counselor in Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota. Currently, he is an independent consultant with Beacon Confidential, LLC in Milwaukee.
David B. Bohl has shared his story in his memoir, PARALLEL UNIVERSES: THE STORY OF REBIRTH. He will be speaking and signing books at Tribeca in Watertown, 10 am April 28, 2018 and will be at the DeForest Area Public Library, 6 pm Thursday, May 3.
