Strung Out

One Last Hit and Other Lies That Nearly Killed Me

By: Erin Khar

Narrated by: Jayme Mattler

“This is a story she needed to tell; and the rest of the country needs to listen.”
— New York Times Book Review

“This vital memoir will change how we look at the opioid crisis and how the media talks about it. A deeply moving and emotional read, STRUNG OUT challenges our preconceived ideas of what addiction looks like.”
—Stephanie Land, New York Times bestselling author of Maid

In this deeply personal and illuminating memoir about her fifteen-year struggle with heroin, Khar sheds profound light on the opioid crisis and gives a voice to the over two million people in America currently battling with this addiction.

Growing up in LA, Erin Khar hid behind a picture-perfect childhood filled with excellent grades, a popular group of friends and horseback riding. After first experimenting with her grandmother’s expired painkillers, Khar started using heroin when she was thirteen. The drug allowed her to escape from pressures to be perfect and suppress all the heavy feelings she couldn’t understand.

This fiercely honest memoir explores how heroin shaped every aspect of her life for the next fifteen years and details the various lies she told herself, and others, about her drug use. With enormous heart and wisdom, she shows how the shame and stigma surrounding addiction, which fuels denial and deceit, is so often what keeps addicts from getting help. There is no one path to recovery, and for Khar, it was in motherhood that she found the inner strength and self-forgiveness to quit heroin and fight for her life.

Strung Out is a life-affirming story of resilience while also a gripping investigation into the psychology of addiction and why people turn to opioids in the first place.

beautiful

I've been sober for 1 year and 3 months. I never thought I'd make it this far. I resignated with Erin in so many ways at several different points in her story. I cried several times. im genuinely happy for her outcome. definitely worth the read. will read again ♡

Beautifully Written

Engaging and beautifully written book. A great story about addiction, mental health, and recovery. Loved the ending.

Raw honesty

A brilliant, painful and honest account of a young woman’s spiraling addiction and making it back….

Powerful

Wow this was super inspiring and powerful. Thanks for sharing your story with the world.

great story great narrator

the story gripped my attention and the narrate was excellent. really brought depth to story.