Written by the English essayist Thomas De Quincey (15 August 1785 – 8 December 1859), the confessions detailed De Quincey’s psychological experiences with his laudanum addiction, a mixture of opium and alcohol. A popular medicinal drug in the 18th century laudanum was prescribed for practically every ailment, it was however highly addictive. Associated with the Lake Poets, Wordsworth, Coleridge and Robert Southey, De Quincey’s confessions were hugely popular, inaugurated the tradition of addiction literature in Western literature. First published anonymously in September and October 1821 in the London Magazine, the Confessions were published in book form in 1822.