Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic character Sherlock Holmes was a masterful investigator. You wouldn’t want anyone else on the case. He was a genius at putting together the puzzle pieces of a mystery to find the culprit of a crime. Holmes was nothing, however, if not a drug addict. He was steeped cocaine. As Doyle was more prolific, Holme’s addiction grew and in a time when opium dens were as ubiquitous as Starbucks, it was only a matter of time before Holme’s was found in one in the name of being undercover and solving a mystery. In “The Man with the Twisted Lip” Holmes can be found within the opium den, an opium pipe hanging listlessly, as Holmes himself seems draped over, with what seemed no energy at all in his being.
Watson’s Disapproval 
Holmes wasn’t immune from his friends and loved one’s disapproval. Watson can be found in the stories to frequently deriding the habit. He dismisses it to begin with, as perhaps many families and friends do, as a distraction. You can almost hear Watson excusing it as a way for Holmes to quell his bored genius in between cases. But further on into the series of books Watson sites the addiction as a threat to Holmes’ thriving career.
The Evolution of Holme’s Abuse Parallel to Public Perception
When Doyle started the Holmes series cocaine was becoming a sensation and was readily available and consumed often, especially by the creative sector of the community. Opium was being celebrated, too, as a kind of miracle drug. By the time Doyal stopped writing the series, the threat of these substances was coming in to clearer view. This is likely the reasoning for Watson’s shift in perspective about how serious Holmes’ addiction was.
Don’t Wait to Get Help
If like Holme’s, you seek out drugs or alcohol when you’re under challenged or bored and it’s become an addiction, you need to get help now. At FHE we offer treatment for any number of drug and alcohol dependence including drug replacement therapy at our Florida drug detox. Call us today at (855) 441-2449 and we will be there to support you throughout your alcohol, amphetamine, or opiate withdrawal and recovery.