Holmes and Mental Illness

I first became interested in Holmes when I was taking a child psychiatric disorders class about autism spectrum disorders.  In many personal accounts of people with autism  (both fictional and non-fictional) I found mentions of an emotional or 'spiritual' connection with Sherlock Holmes.  I also found accounts of people with autism drawn to the characters Spock and Data.  So, when I came across the episodes of Star Trek  "Elementary, Dear Data" and saw the intersection of these characters I thought, 'Enough is enough -- I must read me some Holmes.'

However, as I read instead of seeing a link between autism and Holmes I found myself more interested in his apparent mood disorder.  That became my great connection with the books. I am fascinated when I see actors who with deal mood disorders find this in Holmes as well and bring it to their performances.  I have a very intimate relationship with mental illnesses such as mood ad obsessive-compulsive disorders.  So, watching them played out on screen or in the canon is somehow cathartic for me.

In conclusion, let's psychoanalyize Holmes! Of course, I realize that he is a fictional character and everyone will read something different into him.  What I am really wondering is if anyone else has had experiences similar to mine and would like to share.