A Little Crazy: A Memoir of Finding Purpose and Joy Amid the Madness

From the father who won over critics and readers with Dear William, a memoir about his late son, comes David Magee’s own story of recovery from addiction--all while battling ADHD, depression, anxiety, as well as grief and a costly midlife crisis.

A Little Crazy is a powerful call to action to embrace differences and create a life unbound by stigma and stereotypes, leading to redeeming purpose and joy. Adopted into a family that never quite fit, David Magee battled loneliness and a lack of self-esteem as a teen. These feelings followed and paralyzed him into adulthood until a trusted voice within revealed an unusual--if not a little bit crazy--path forward. Despite difficulties, he followed that path relentlessly, learning to better manage his mental-health adversities and making them his most vital assets.

Follow David’s story as he turns his life around, saving his marriage and career, and becomes a trusted voice in breaking mental health and substance misuse stigma among students and parents nationally, all while leading the way in creating a university institute focused on finding solutions to student and family well-being.

A trusted voice in the mental health and substance misuse space, known from his work advocating for student and family well-being nationally, David’s inspiring journey teaches readers:

• The power of believing in something bigger
• The importance of trusting and following instinct
• The reality that we can’t do it alone
• How speaking our truth frees us and helps others

In sharing his inspiring journey, David teaches readers the importance of trusting your instincts, speaking your truth, and understanding the reality that no one can succeed alone.

David Magee is the author of Dear William: A Father’s Memoir of Addiction, Recovery, Love and Loss, a Publisher’s Weekly bestseller, named a Best Book of the South, and featured on CBS Mornings, and other non-fiction books. A changemaker in student and family mental health and substance misuse, he’s creator and director of operations of The William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing at the University of Mississippi and a frequent motivational speaker, helping others find and keep the joy they want and deserve.