I have just returned to my studies after a 14 year break! I sat (and passed) CT8 in April, and it was such a lovely feeling. One of the reasons I gave up all those years ago was the frustration of not passing.
Some counter intuitive ideas:
(1) Have some study techniques that do not rely too much on active thought. I am often too tired to study 'hard' (I am a mother with six small children), so it is enough sometimes to just watch the online 'bitesize' tutorials, and think about what they are saying. Or try to write down answers very quickly to flash cards. That way, if you get the answers wrong or can't remember the answers, you follow up with copying the correct answer down. If you do a lot of "mindless" study, after a while the "thinking" study becomes easy.
(2) Tell your family/friends about what you are studying. If you try to explain it to them, and better still try to make it sound interesting, you will stay more motivated, and will form better answers.
(3) In the dark night, tell yourself how much you want to pass, and keep going. Another one or two years makes no difference in the long run.
Good Luck!