David L. Cook - Early Life

Early Life

Early in life, Cook was abused by his father, who had a severe drinking problem; when intoxicated, the father would become violent towards the family. After many years of this abuse Cook developed many psychological problems that ended up following him through to his life as an adult. Cook developed a severe dissociative disorder and psychogenic amnesia. He recalled having periods of "missing time" but never really understood the cause. In 1990, doctors finally diagnosed the disorders after Cook experienced what they thought was a severe stroke and was rushed to the Coral Springs Medical Hospital in Fort. Lauderdale. Cook checked himself out of the hospital and disappeared from his Florida home and was found five months later in a Charlotte, North Carolina, hospital with similar health complaints. Cook had been around Charlotte for five months and no one realized that there was anything wrong with him until he started developing stroke symptoms again. Doctors finally realized that Cook's problems were not organic and sent him to see specialists. Cook had no recollection of leaving Florida, nor what he had done during his five months in Charlotte. When asked, he stated that, "It was like someone switching off a light and then switching it back on. "

Cook's story has been told through different media. The 700 Club did a full-length documentary on Cook that was aired worldwide. Cook himself wrote the religious self-help book Inspirational Words, which outlines his ordeal and how he overcame the disorder.