The main character is an undercover police agent with the assignment to spy on himself; as a consequence, he starts to behave criminally and take drugs in order to be able to hand in satisfying reports filled with subversive activities. His drug intake has the effect that he can't discern between himself, his job and his act any longer, leading to his own mental breakdown and admission into one of these rehab clinics.
The novel captures the language and conversation of drug users with a rare clarity.
Through his last bit of consciousness, we see another plot twist...
The autobiographic part of the novel is explained in the addendum, where he dedicates the book to his circle of friends, many of whom seem to have suffered drug-related mental and physical illnesses, more than once leading to death. This is mirrored in the involuntary goodbyes occurring throughout the story.