It is a problem of your design. Normally is some class design implemented which enhances clarity. I guess you need a function "RestartTimer" which creates a brand new timer.
A backcounting timer is done by calculating the end time (in the future) and substract the actual time.
In Windows you have the
SetTimer which is normally used in 1 second interval to update the user interface. Important is to know that you cant rely on the precision of that interval, so calculate your interval in own time variables!!!