Salam - How do I stop obsessing over someone I don't even know?
As-salamu alaykum, I hate saying this because it sounds petty, but I need to get it off my chest before it takes over my life. I’m 33 (M), raised in the West, still living with my parents. I’ve had setbacks with my career and mental health. I’m doing an MSc in Computing and a part-time internship, but I still feel behind - no stable job, small social circle, no real hobbies, and generally stuck. There’s a woman I’ve been following on social media for years. She’s Muslim, from a conservative background and the same sect as me, so her life feels familiar. Our families even know each other; my parents have met hers, but I’ve never met her in person or spoken to her. I always thought neither of us were super religious compared to the broader community back home. Over time, her lifestyle as shown online has changed a lot: she spends time with non-Muslim friends, drinks wine publicly, dresses in revealing clothes, travels, and otherwise seems to live a very Western, modern life. At the same time she has a strong tech career, lives independently, and comes across as confident and very attractive. I have never interacted with her, but I compulsively check her profile - sometimes even looking through friends or family pages just to see more pictures. This has gone on for years. It feels unhealthy and shameful, like I’m attached to an imagined version of her life rather than reality. Recently I learned her parents are actively looking for a husband for her within our sect. That messed with my head and made the obsession worse for reasons I can’t fully explain. Meanwhile I’m struggling with my own deen and identity as a Muslim in the West. Instead of working on my faith, health, career, and future, I scroll through her posts and feel worse about myself. It’s killing my confidence and keeping me stuck. I want to break the cycle - to stop checking her profile and focus on improving my life, my health, my deen, and building hobbies and goals. But the urge comes back, especially when I’m lonely, anxious, or frustrated. Has anyone dealt with obsessing over someone you don’t know? How do you stop? Any practical steps to break the habit and redirect energy toward self-improvement and strengthening faith would help. JazakAllah khair.