How do you know how much time your OCD traits take up? This is question I often see in relation to OCD (in addition to level of distress/functioning -how intrusive is it in your life of course) and can't for the life of me figure out how people figure that out.

Why? So far I've recognized three problems I'd have in answering such a question. One is that I have no sense of time. People think I'm joking, until they see it for themselves. After the umpteenth time of being asked -if I even care or actually need to know- what time/day/month it is etc, they get it. (One of my favorite Steven Wright jokes is "Four years ago... Oh wait. It was yesterday." )

Two. The issue of so often doing things without necessarily being aware of them, because they are so ingrained. Some of them may even seem normal, through being such familiar and subconscious things, you know? So. For example. Yes, I'm aware of things I count. But how aware am I really about checking, rechecking, or being compelled to think, re-think things over and over, convinced I will miss something. Or editing a post. Over and over. How much time does this take up? I don't know, because I don't even realize I'm doing it, until maybe hours have gone by till it's just right.

Three. Some things take up time all by themselves. Other times there is multi-tasking, like the think, re-think thing that nearly never stops.

How on earth does one calculate how much time these things take up? The time taken/disruption to normal functioning in observable actions may be more obvious to others, but what about the rest? Am I missing something?

(I should mention that I'm not - currently at least- dx'd with OCD.)