The bullies might have gotten away with this criminal-wise but what about civil damages? It looks like they severely damaged your ability to sustain yourself financially.
Ask HN: How to navigate the world as a brain-damaged 17 year old?
11–20 of 113 posts
Re: Ask HN: How to navigate the world as a brain-damaged 17 year old?
#12I've read about a few people who've recovered from brain injuries - but it does seem to take ages - so hang in there!
The guy who runs the Strange Parts channel has a video about his recovery; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs790JOeN3Y
Re: Ask HN: How to navigate the world as a brain-damaged 17 year old?
#13I'm not sure what the situation is like in the UK but is this all stuff that needs to happen now? Because you don't sound like you're doing too well. You're studying drugged on caffeine and painkillers and then wonder why you don't retain information well.
From what I've seen first hand a concussion like this needs time to heal. Your brain, the organ responsible for processing information, has been harmed and needs to heal.
The main thing you need is time, which you seem to be lacking severely. That is the part I would focus on first. I'm not familiar enough with the UK's educational system to tell you how, but if you know where you want to end up try to find a way that gives you more time (whether that means starting later or starting something else and then transferring).
Re: Ask HN: How to navigate the world as a brain-damaged 17 year old?
#14[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: How to navigate the world as a brain-damaged 17 year old?
#15If you can afford it, the gap year sounds like a good start as it would give you some time for the NHS to catch up and for your body to heal.
I do not recommend freelancing, as it is likely to generate even more stress. From the options you mention, the local uni would be my choice: I didn't know how much I didn't know until I started CS, and I've never had anyone actually care about who gave me my degree.
Re: Ask HN: How to navigate the world as a brain-damaged 17 year old?
#16For what it's worth: you still write very well.
Re: Ask HN: How to navigate the world as a brain-damaged 17 year old?
#17Make sure your diet is good & healthy, and get regular exercise. Walking is good. Supplements would likely help. B Complex (10-25mg for most B vitamins), magnesium, zinc, lutein (20mg) and fish oil are all good. Most of those, if not all, fight inflammation and help with recovery and fight fatigue. Try doing crosswords and mental math. Both work your memory in different ways.
Do not use supplements without checking it with your doctor.
Re: Ask HN: How to navigate the world as a brain-damaged 17 year old?
#18You went through a highly traumatic event.
Be kind to yourself. What I read in between the lines is that you maybe have too high expectations for someone that experience such a thing recently.
You're young and you have plenty of time to recover.
Pick the one thing you enjoy the most and focus on that for a while. See if that helps.
Let yourself recover.
You're already asking for help, though HN may not be the ideal venue for this. Try to get into therapy (of whatever kind helps you the most).
Re: Ask HN: How to navigate the world as a brain-damaged 17 year old?
#19Firstly, read about the recovery of YC founder Hiroki Takeuchi after his injuries. He built a team and led a company that was a highlight of my professional life and which is still growing strong.
Then, find two communities of people local to you.
The first, fellow programmers to continue to practice your craft alongside.
The second, people who do something with their bodies — dancing or rock climbing or basketball.
It may feel like the people at your school whom you would have expected to protect you have betrayed you. They have indeed failed you. It is tempting to hide away to be alone. It is tempting to only reach out to people on the internet who can at best offer superficial companionship. I ask you to resist that temptation.
There are still people who care even though they are human. In this moment what matters is that you find people to be beside you so that you still have a team. Few things are built alone. Many are built by building a team.
Re: Ask HN: How to navigate the world as a brain-damaged 17 year old?
#20> I was off school for 6 months and I have post-concussion syndrome. I am now below average intelligence.
I had a lot of concussions as a kid; at one point I had three in a row the effectively zeroed out my short term memory. I had a task to memorize 5 paragraphs from some Shakespeare writing. Additionally, I was unable to do basic math in the timelines given for testing. Among those symptoms I'd also stopped eating and my childhood depression worsened. Things didn't look too good.
I went to cognitive neurotherapy done by Dr Jonathan Walker (https://www.neurotherapydallas.com/copy-of-about-1) in Dallas, TX. I was first given a brain scan to set a baseline and did months of EEG oriented games that targeted areas of my brain that were seemingly less active. At some point I had a small seizure while playing the games and the ease with which I played increased rapidly. Within a couple weeks I was able to memorize the lines I was required to and my math returned to functional levels. Check in to cognitive neurotherapy, as far as I know it's still experimental but it seemed to help me a lot. They also give it to war veterans with TBI (Traumatic brain injuries) at the VA.