▁by ▁his ▁parents , ▁he ▁was ▁an ▁em otion ally ▁confused ▁and ▁self - dest ruct ive ▁child , ▁harm ing ▁himself ▁with ▁cig aret te ▁ends ▁and ▁kn ives ▁before ▁beginning ▁to ▁experiment ▁with ▁dru gs . ▁ ▁Self ▁was ▁a ▁v ora cious ▁reader ▁from ▁a ▁young ▁age . ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁ten , ▁he ▁developed ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁works ▁of ▁science ▁fiction ▁such ▁as ▁Frank ▁Herbert ' s ▁D une ▁and ▁those ▁of ▁J . ▁G . ▁Ball ard ▁and ▁Philip ▁K . ▁Dick . ▁In to ▁his ▁te en age ▁years , ▁Self ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁" over aw ed ▁by ▁the ▁canon ", ▁st if ling ▁his ▁ability ▁to ▁express ▁himself . ▁Nevertheless , ▁Self ' s ▁d abb ling ▁with ▁dru gs ▁grew ▁in ▁step ▁with ▁his ▁pro l ific ▁reading . ▁Self ▁started ▁sm oking ▁can nab is ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 2 , ▁gradu ating ▁through ▁am ph et am ines , ▁c oca ine , ▁and ▁L SD ▁to ▁hero in , ▁which ▁he ▁started ▁inject ing ▁at ▁ 1 8 . ▁Self ▁strugg led ▁with ▁mental ▁health ▁issues ▁during ▁this ▁period , ▁and ▁aged ▁ 2 0 ▁became ▁a ▁hospital ▁out pat ient . ▁ ▁Self ▁attended ▁University ▁College ▁School , ▁an ▁independent ▁school ▁for ▁boys ▁in ▁H amp st ead . ▁He ▁later ▁attended ▁Christ ' s ▁College , ▁Fin ch ley , ▁from ▁where ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁Ex eter ▁College ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Oxford , ▁reading ▁Philosoph