In terms of medical help, the NHS is focusing on preventing the headaches. I've been prescribed topirimate, which gave me horrible side effects (stopped after 3 days), and small dosage amitriptyline, which I'm currently decreasing the dose of in order to get off of because it's not helping and it also gives me side effects. I've got an MRI scheduled in 3 months time. It's all moving quite slowly, and the focus on headaches and prescribing medicines over cognitive performance isn't particularly helpful. My GP (Family doctor) has been excellent but there's a limited amount he can do.

Neurofeedback has been suggested in this thread and I can get it privately here for about £2000, so I'm considering that. It's a lot of money but could have a very high ROI if it works. I'm also on a very long waitlist for hyperbaric oxygen therapy run by a charity. There's some limited evidence that it helps people heal.

I'm not brighter than most of my cohort, though my cohort is a pretty bright group of people. I'm just about keeping up through stubbornness and doing nothing but studying.

Compared to the average teenager my age - they'd probably get a better score on an IQ test, but I don't spend my time drinking and partying, and over the course of the year I've gotten my grades from Es to Bs, so I suppose I'm probably still a bit above average.

I will definitely be taking a gap year(s?) between A levels and uni.

Thank you.