Confessions of an English Opium-Eater

“I here present you, courteous reader, with the record of a remarkable period in my life: according to my application of it, I trust that it will prove not merely an interesting record, but in a considerable degree useful and instructive.” So Thomas de Quincey begins his shocking autobiography, the “Confessions of an English Opium-Eater”. Originally published anonymously in two parts in the “London Magazine” in 1821, it is a gripping account of one Englishman’s addiction to laudanum, a tincture which contained a large amount of opium. De Quincey, born in 1785, begins by describing his early life and the difficult psychological factors he experienced as a young adult, including time spent destitute and living on the street, which contributed to his long addiction. De Quincey then candidly details the beginning of his opium use in 1804 and how much he enjoyed the effects of the drug for several years. Beginning in 1812, De Quincey began to experience many ghastly and negative effects of his long drug use and describes in shocking detail the nightmares, insomnia, frightening visions, and debilitating physical effects he suffered from it. In so doing De Quincy’s account remains a fascinating warning of the dangers of opium addiction.