A Narrative Analysis of Agential Movement from Addiction to Recovery in Erin Khar’s Strung Out (2020)

16 May 2021

Erin Khar (born 20 October 1973) began abusing stolen prescription drugs at age eight and heroin at age 13. Those behaviours continued for 21 years. Erin has been clean with progressively improved functioning since 2003.

It is because Erin crossed the bridge from addiction to recovery that her memoir was selected as the data set for this qualitative study. This study is exploratory and investigative rather than hypothesis-driven; that is, I want to know what about Erin’s particular experience led her to seek and achieve the existential states of both addiction and recovery. I also want to know if the essential attributes of that bridge can be understood and refashioned for others in the addictive community.

Note to reader: Anyone who might be triggered by descriptions of self-harm or explicit drug use should think carefully before reading this document.