You're asking me if I sleep? You're on when I am.
Yep, it's one of the issues I've struggled with over the years. My daily routine got later & later until I was living at night instead. Since change was a massive problem for me (and early on even changing clothes was a challenge, washing, etc I used to sit on the settee all day and be afraid of moving or brushing my teeth, eating, etc) I was very afraid of moving my day around. The first couple of years I would panic every bank holiday because my fixed daily routine was forced to change.
I've broken a lot of it up now, after trying & failing so many times over the years, so it's less of a problem but it's still something I'm working on. So, at the moment I sleep in two periods most days so I'm doing stuff the rest of the time. But I can break it, it's more keeping it going that's the issue.
Thanks. It took about two years sorting out the compulsions. I didn't have them until I relapsed and started a med that ramped up my anxiety much worse and weeks later it all started. The first year was a real hell and little to no progress was made. But after that I found my way with exposure work and it got there.
My anxiety came after burning out at work when I was 30. Before that things were fine. I didn't address as much as I needed to, came off a SSRI about 4 years later and 6 months later hit a relapse. Been working on it ever since. The first few years were a total mess really.
I know what you mean about getting back to some sort of normal. I'm much better than I was but it seemed to be a matter of trying & trying until bit by bit I ended up in a better place. It was all stop-start, stop-start, success then stumbling block, hit a rut, backslide a bit, lurch forward. I can understand why Dr Weekes termed it "layers" as I felt like I jumped forward as I moved into a new "stage". Some stages I got not very far, some I did. It was such a slow process as it sounds like it was for you. I'm taking it as slow as I need to this time, I rushed things the first time and paid the price for it.
I was new to OCD back then, didn't have a clue about it so thought I was going crazy. It did help to read about it and realise it's just part of the disorder. For me it didn't so much feel that I completely believed more that I was too afraid to not agree with it and stay trapped by my behaviours that kept it going. It's one of the reasons the repetitive HAers don't bother me, when my compulsions were at their worst I spent most of my day on them and nothing changed that, I didn't know how to cope without them. It felt like a curse and I would remain like that forever. It took me ages to realise I didn't have to live like that, post CBT therapy, when I felt myself changing again. OCD, GAD, PTSD, etc they can all be so horrible when you feel like it's normal or correct to be suffering.
I bet you have lots of experience of your own fighting this monster, especially having it so long. I wish the NHS would put it's work into kids, catching it early gives the best chance before all the ingrained thinking sets in. The same with adults really. It feels like such a false economy only getting to people later on.