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💓💓💓

@Twiga ❣. you ok?

@happydaysahead26 No:

@Twiga ❣. Just logging back on here. How's your day going today?

@happydaysahead26 I spent today in a nice way, unlike yesterday. I went to the beach and enjoyed my time with my family. So I feel like that helped ease my work stress and lifted my mood. Thank you for asking. What about you—how was your day😊?

@Twiga ❣. Oh. I love the beach!!! Always takes stresses away! I worked today, this whole week was one of those weeks where nothing goes easy...but it's the weekend now! :-)

@happydaysahead26 “I feel the same. Work can sometimes be difficult and stressful, but going to the beach helps relieve some of it.”

@Twiga ❣. Definitely! What type of work do you do?

@happydaysahead26 I work as a doctor's assistant, and as you know, it’s a big responsibility. Sometimes it gets very busy, and I’m responsible for several departments. I’m still new—I just completed one month. Before this, I used to work in cosmetics, but I left that job. What about you? What do you do?

Thank you, but I don’t really have a passion for the job I’m currently doing. I wish I could specialize in aviation or something like that. I haven’t finished university yet—I’m still in my first year and haven’t chosen a major. The job I’m doing now is something I was trained for, not something I actually studied.

@Twiga ❣. I see. Thanks for sharing that with me, and that's a sign of wisdom. Finding passion in what we do is so rewarding... But I'm kinda a hypocrite saying that too, because I'm in engineering because I'm good at math, analytical and solving problems, I guess. Lol. As far as passion, I really want to help people in some way, make a difference or something. Does the university you're attending offer aviation or something along that line?

@Twiga ❣. Oh, and I love music, like classical, orchestra type stuff, and singing:-)

@happydaysahead26 Oh, you have a lot of passion. I do too—I’m passionate about many things. I love classical music, pop, and even loud music❤.

@Twiga ❣. Yes, finding passion is essential. It’s not only about a major, but about life in general. Sometimes passion fades, but when you know the things you’re truly passionate about, it comes back—even if it disappears for a while. As for studying aviation, it’s not available in my city, and as you know, it’s expensive. The cost is in dollars, and my country’s currency is weaker, so even if I save money, it’s still difficult because of inflation and the exchange rate. I’m also like you—I really love helping people, especially through volunteering or supporting someone emotionally and being there for them. That’s really great that you’re good at math; it’s actually a very difficult subject for me❤

@Twiga ❣. Aww, thank you 😊. Yes I can get in to the right heavy metal song at the right time, and so much in between. Does it seem common for OCD sufferers to be passionate? My dynamic inner world seems to be a blessing and a curse,lol. Like, that's what makes me good at my work and all, but boy it isn't easy getting out of my head sometimes. Lol.

@happydaysahead26 Yes, it feels like your mind never stops talking—like a spoiled child screaming, and when you finally pay attention, it turns out to be something trivial. By the way, have you ever listened to Arabic music?

@Twiga ❣. I would like to say I have heard some, but probably not what you're referring to. :-) Can you recommend any? And may I ask what country you're from?

@happydaysahead26 Do you want me to recommend an artist or my favorite songs? Then you can try to guess where I’m from. I like it when people guess a little. I want to see how smart you are.^.

@Twiga ❣. I love it!!! Ok ... How about your favorite songs?

@happydaysahead26 Okay, the song “Khaleek Ma’aya” by Amr Diab.

@Twiga ❣. Ok, I will listen to it and get back to you... :-) for now it's bedtime here. Talk to you tomorrow

@Twiga ❣. I like the music to that song! Don't understand the words though! Lol. Are you from an Arab country?

@happydaysahead26 I’m an hour late for work—can you believe it? I’m still in the car. Oh my God, I think my boss is going to destroy me if I’m late again.

@Twiga ❣. Oh no! Did you make it? Is everything ok???

@happydaysahead26 Yes, I’m Arab. What about you, where are you from? It’s true that I’m Arab, but my way of thinking is a bit different from traditional Arab views. The meaning of the song “Stay With Me” is simply “stay with me forever.” It’s probably an old song, but its meaning is very deep❤.

@happydaysahead26 Yes, everything is fine. They didn’t even talk to me— they’re already used to my personality ❤️. It’s true that I’m sometimes late, but I’m very good at my job.

@Twiga ❣. Ohhhh, khaleek ma'aya means stay with me...I googled it. :-) Do you speak fluent English? You type it very well!!! How many languages can you speak? I'm from the US, in the state of Pennsylvania. I find others I have connected with around the world are always so much more educated than people in the US. Our education system is a disaster, unless you use private or online schooling. I love people and different cultures and all. So many beautiful things about different cultures. I'd love to travel the world someday. Have you visited many places?

@happydaysahead26 It’s true that my writing is good, but I feel nervous when speaking. I’m still learning English, and I’m very interested in Spanish—I love it so much that I even started learning it instead of English. I haven’t traveled yet, but I hope my first destination will be the United States—New York, then Los Angeles. After that, I’d like to visit the United Kingdom, then Belgium, then Korea, and also Egypt to experience the Arabic culture. Actually, I think I would start with Egypt. I really hope to visit all these countries and places. I have a strong passion for discovering new things. I’m also good at volleyball. The only reason I haven’t traveled is because of my studies—I was studying, as you know, so I didn’t have time. Even during holidays, my family travels, but I don’t go with them. I want to travel using my own money, and I’m still young, so I have plenty of time ahead of me. I’m also interested in meeting people from different cultures. I enjoy getting to know people from diverse backgrounds and making friends with them. What about 🌷.

@Twiga ❣. I've been to NYC once to see an orchestra at Carnegie Hall, one of the historical halls. Also spent time in central park. I live close enough to take the bus in, I'd never drive in the city, too scary! Lol. I haven't been to California yet. I have been to the Grand canyon, Texas and Florida. Also a few islands in the Caribbean, my family went on a few cruises in the Caribbean. So many nice places, and beautiful people! It's so sad the governments of the world just can't get along. I don't like what's been going on and try not to listen to too much news. Funny you mentioned Egypt, a nice lady here at work have me a website the other day to a guided tour travel agency. I am literally sitting here looking at a 9 day Egypt tour including a cruise on the Nile!!!

@happydaysahead26 It sounds like you’ve visited some really nice places. I’m also waiting to start and finish university, and after that I want to travel to different countries. I believe that everything has its right time. As for Egypt, I mentioned it because it’s very close to my country. Hmm, Egypt is beautiful, and the people are kind. They really like self-improvement, and a lot of their content creators talk about changing their lives and growing as people. It seems like an interesting place. You could also visit Alexandria. But be careful, because some people there might try to take advantage of you financially or overcharge tourists. My grandfather’s wife is Egyptian, so I know a little about the culture and I meet them often. By the way, why did you say your education system is bad? I’m just curious to know.

@Twiga ❣. Hmmm, are you from Saudi Arabia? :-) It's awesome connecting with people from all over the world on here! I look at it like we're all from different countries and cultures, but we're all human and deserve to be valued. As far as our education system... unfortunately it's controlled by unions and government influence. It's like standards are lowered in order to show progress for the purpose of qualifying for funding. So young people are graduating while reading at a 3rd grade level. That's just a small part of the big picture.

@happydaysahead26 I’m not Saudi, I’m Libyan. I understand what you mean though—some people judge other cultures too quickly based only on things they’ve heard. I told you Egypt is very close to us; we can even travel there by car. As for the education system, it’s good, but not really at international standards. The important thing is that my country is more peaceful now, and we live safely, which is comforting. Things were difficult in 2019, but thankfully life became more stable afterward❤.

@happydaysahead26 Have you heard of it before? Most people don’t really know much about it?

@Twiga ❣. I have, but unfortunately in a negative way in our news. Our news is becoming more and more propaganda than anything. I looked it up online and see theres a large coastline on the Mediterranean sea. Are you close to the coastline? Is tourism common? I don't really hear much of trips to Libya. I'd love to learn more about your culture. I consider you a friend. :-)

@happydaysahead26 Yes, I live close to the coastline. My home even overlooks the sea from a short distance away. As for tourism, we do have tourists, but not a large number. Some people come for the historical sites or the desert. Libya has deserts and ancient ruins, similar to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The difference is that those countries did not go through the same wars and instability that we did. In 2019, Libya was still struggling with conflicts that started after the fall of Gaddafi’s regime in 2011. In some ways, what happened to us was similar to Iraq. But thankfully, things are much safer now. Most of what you hear in the news is about political disagreements, not everyday life. The city I live in is peaceful, and serious crimes are not common here. Recently, there have even been celebrations because my city went through a terrible flood and has started recovering and rebuilding again. Honestly, my country is beautiful, but because of the conflicts in the past, it is still healing and recovering❤.

Yes, it’s a beautiful coast. I don’t usually go to the beach near my home because it isn’t really made for swimming, and no one goes there often. Sometimes I go to the beach at the end of the city—it’s more suitable for swimming and it’s far from the busy city atmosphere. Or I go to the sea in Ras Al-Hilal. It’s a very beautiful place: there is the sea, and behind it there are mountains and hills. It’s really a peaceful spot. There are also trees close to the sea—it’s not a “beach” in the strict sense. The weather here is usually hot and sunny. In winter it can be rainy, but it never snows. There is no snow mainly because we are in a warm coastal region close to the Mediterranean Sea, and the climate stays mild most of the year. In autumn and spring, the weather is mixed—it can be hot, cold, or rainy, and sometimes it feels quite normal and balanced❤.

I understand that I don’t always agree with everything my government does, and I also think it’s normal to have different opinions about political decisions. In reality, I sometimes feel that some politicians may focus more on their own interests rather than the people, although of course not all of them are like that. I also don’t always agree with certain attitudes in society here. Some people may have more limited thinking or hold onto old ideas strongly, but I know not everyone is the same. Personally, I prefer to think in an open-minded way and try to question things instead of just accepting everything I hear🤷🏻‍♀️.

@Twiga ❣. I mentioned I've been on cruises in the Caribbean, it's a dream to go on on of the Mediterranean cruises! So you never had the chance to build a snowman or have snow ball fights? The snow is beautiful when it's freshly fallen and so peaceful to watch come down, but it's a pain when you have to drive in it, and shovel it. Lol. I'm hoping to move to warmer climate when I'm older. We have family in Florida and Texas, both are warm, we'll see.

@Twiga ❣. And yes, there is so much corruption in politics. I'm responsible for how I treat people myself, that's what I focus on, loving others and treating others with respect. :-)

@Twiga ❣. Hope you're having a good Saturday! 😊

@happydaysahead26 I also feel like when I’m older, I don’t want to stay in my country forever. Maybe we’ll see what the future brings and where life will take us. But I’m pretty sure I don’t want to spend the rest of my life here. I want bigger opportunities, if you understand what I mean, and I’m looking forward to meeting more people and experiencing more things in life.

@happydaysahead26 I like your way of thinking, especially your maturity in not judging people and treating them with respect:)

@happydaysahead26 I hope you have a good Saturday. Today’s temperature is 29°C and the weather is very hot. I hope it’s a good day for you too😊.

@Twiga ❣. I was at a family birthday party today. Always nice to see people I haven't seen in a while, but...also a very possible trigger for my OCD. I did ok though! Feeling good about it! So you are 6 hours ahead of me in time. It's currently 8pm here, and I googled your time and it's 2 am there!!! So you're probably sleeping 😴. Today was cool and rainy in the morning, but turned out nice this evening. 29c is 84f... Sounds nice to me. We is fahrenheit, and inches, etc. Our morning was around 13c... In the 50's f. Sleep well, and sweet dreams. :-)

@Twiga ❣. You seem very mature as well. :-)

@happydaysahead26 Thank you, you’re kind❣

@happydaysahead26 It’s really nice that you joined a family celebration it helps strengthen bonds between people. I also like that you were able to manage your OCD. I really respect that. If I may ask, what type of OCD do you have? If you don’t feel comfortable answering, that’s completely okay and I will understand. I haven’t slept yet because Saturday wasn’t very good for me, and I had a late shift at work. I’ll sleep a bit later. I know my sleep schedule is not great, but I’m trying, as you know. Sorry for sharing all this, but I don’t like pretending I’m asleep while I’m actually still awake reading your message 🤦🏻‍♀️😊

@Twiga ❣. Aww...you're sweet 😊 of course I'd be willing to talk about my OCD. My major theme is real event, I also struggle with scrupulosity/religious OCD, even a phase of SOOCD. It kind of all blends together at times. I've been fired from a job because of my OCD, that was really difficult. How about you?

@Twiga ❣. I struggled growing up, especially early teen years, puberty and all was horrible, never understood what was going on until I finally got a diagnosis and could start therapy. A couple years ago I had a major OCD episode at my job and was fired. Very humiliating. And I carried that with for months after, couldn't sleep, and finally sought therapy.

@Twiga ❣. Erp therapy has been very helpful. I'm thankful for the tools I learned, and can use to help me cope. :-)

@happydaysahead26 I’m proud of you for sharing that. You’re very brave. My OCD is mostly related to sexual intrusive thoughts. Sometimes I get impulsive or disturbing sexual thoughts, and sometimes other intrusive thoughts related to doing reckless things. You know, those impulsive “what if I do something inappropriate or reckless?” kinds of thoughts. But I’ve made a lot of progress with my OCD. I think cognitive therapy really helped me, and I also learned to be gentler with myself when I make mistakes. I also used to struggle with religious/moral OCD and fears that I might do inappropriate things or be a bad person, but I overcame a lot of that. It doesn’t cause me anxiety the way it used to anymore. I still struggle with impulsive and sexual OCD thoughts, but they’re calmer now and not as intense as before. My OCD gets triggered more in crowded places, so I try to expose myself to those situations and interact with people more. I’ve learned that people won’t see me as a bad person just because of a passing thought—it’s only a thought in my mind. That’s what I’ve learned, and I’m still continuing treatment. I’m a little curious about SO-OCD. If you don’t mind sharing, was it difficult for you, and in what way was it difficult? You don’t have to answer if you’re uncomfortable. I’ve heard about that type of OCD before, but I never experienced it myself, so I’m only curious about the symptoms. And about your job, sometimes if a job doesn’t support your mental health, then it’s not worth keeping. There are many jobs in life. You seem like a wonderful person, and I believe you’ll do well in your next job too❤.

@happydaysahead26 Oh, that sounds really painful, but we actually have some things in common. I also got fired from my job, but not because of OCD—because of a silly misunderstanding. My manager was immature, and my friend and I said some things about him because of his behavior. Then we found out he was listening to everything through cameras, as if they were spying on everything. He got angry and started treating me badly, and eventually he told me I was fired. At that time, I didn’t even know I had OCD. I only found out later through ChatGPT and Google, and then I got officially diagnosed. I think ERP therapy is the best treatment, even though it’s difficult, especially when combined with other approaches. I tried the Jeffrey Schwartz model before, but it actually made my condition worse, especially the “refocusing” technique—it was really a disaster for me:).

@Twiga ❣. You seem to have the gift of encouragement, has anyone ever told you that before? Thanks for your encouraging words, we all need more like you in our lives. I do anyway. :-) As far as sexual orientation OCD, that was most difficult through my teen years. It stemmed from having access to porn when I was young, then some minor experiences with friends, which led to questionable attraction to same sex, and so on. I didn't really have a moral compass growing up so it was like an experimental thing as a kid, that led to all the "oh no, this must mean...", "what if...", "I must be..i can't be..." kind of thoughts. Then the self condemnation sets in. So I was stuck in my thoughts and feel like I missed so much of life through those years. I had no idea I could get help with this. Sexual attraction themes seem so devastating because they attach to hormones, which make it seem like it must be real, it must mean we're bad people. I also learned through this that our thoughts are like a pet, in a way. If we feed it good things, it grows to be good, but if we feed it bad things... So part of my healing is avoiding, but also filling the void with healthy things. Human nature seems to always want to drift to what's dark, and that's an open pit. But we're also always curious, especially towards sexual attraction. But yes, always remember those fleeting thoughts don't mean anything, even when accompanied by physical arousal. We can know who we are. Hope I didn't get too personal, or make you uncomfortable...

@Twiga ❣. I don't know a whole lot about your culture, but I imagine it's very conservative and strict. Does that make it difficult for you when it comes to sexual thoughts?

@happydaysahead26 I always encourage people like you because they’re inspiring. I think some people have experiences related to sexuality in life, and that’s a normal part of discovering your feelings, your orientation, or simply learning what you like and dislike. That doesn’t mean you have to do something you truly don’t want. I don’t really have experience with that myself, but sometimes I wish I understood myself better in that way and knew more clearly what I like or dislike. I really liked your example about thoughts being like a pet. That was a beautiful way to describe it. After all these years, you seem much more mature and self-aware. Sometimes pain gives people wisdom and maturity.

@happydaysahead26 Yes, it is quite strict, but not because of religion—more because of traditions and old habits. Many people there have limited ways of thinking and still believe things that were said a long time ago. I’m not like that. I see things differently now and I no longer fully agree with those beliefs. We only live once, so I believe we should try to live freely without fear. At the beginning, my OCD thoughts were very difficult because I was afraid of how others might see me. But then I realized they are just thoughts outside of my control—I can’t control them. And I’m okay with being different from the society around me🌷.

@happydaysahead26 Excuse me, I have to go to work now. Maybe tomorrow I will change my phone, and I don’t think I will be able to recover my account on the NocD platform because I forgot the password and my account here is not linked to Google. If we ever stay in touch, I’d be happy to connect on another app. If you don’t want that, I will understand. I really enjoyed talking to you:)

@Twiga ❣. I like to find purpose in pain. There's always someone struggling with what we do or have, and we can always come along side them to let them know they're not alone. :-) Have a good day at work .

@Twiga ❣. Don't go!!! 😭 Lol. What other app will I find you on? I enjoy talking with you as well

@happydaysahead26 Lol, I’m not going anywhere, I’m still here 😄 I just thought logging out might help me figure out how to recover my account, but instead I realized I can’t recover my old “Twiga” account because I forgot both the password and the email linked to it. So I’m still the same person here, I just opened a new account. I even searched for my old username, found some posts, and then waited to see the reply. Anyway, I have Instagram, Facebook, and Threads—what do you prefer? I haven’t even changed my phone yet. I was just trying to be smart, but it ended up going a bit silly lol 😅😭

@happydaysahead26 This might sound silly, but I always forget my old passwords and emails, and it usually ends up like this 😅

@Twiga 🌷. That's ok. 😁 I like your sense of humor, and sillyness... I like to laugh with people. I'm a goofball, so...just warning you. Also, I hope this doesn't sound too weird, but I'm not sure how much you know about me, have I told you I'm a boy, or are you aware I am? Is it ok if I am? :-)

@happydaysahead26 I knew you were a boy when you said “man” to me 😄 lol, that was funny. I already figured it out from that word 🤣

@Twiga 🌷. Ok, just checking... 😂 I don't know why I was so concerned about that.... lol. I don't use many apps like Instagram...but I'd do have Facebook, primarily for a business I've been starting, just to have online presence, so maybe we could connect on FB?

@happydaysahead26 Don’t you have Threads or any other app? Actually, I don’t really like Facebook and I don’t use it much. I want to feel comfortable, especially because it sometimes gives me notifications and things like that. What do you think?

@Twiga 🌷. Ok. I haven't used that one before. Let me work on getting set up on there. I'm spending the afternoon today with my mom, it's "mother's Day" here. :-) How can I look you up on there when I'm on?

@Twiga 🌷. I do have telegram already. Just gotta log back in. Lol

@Twiga 🌷. I have to get an Instagram account for threads. :-( lol

@happydaysahead26 I gave you my Facebook account, so there’s no need for Instagram. Please read my message carefully again.

@Twiga 🌷. Was it in between these messages? It may have been flagged?

Can you see my messages?

Just sent a friend request:-)

@happydaysahead26 I saw it and I added you💓.

@happydaysahead26 I added you, then I removed my account name from the comments so it doesn’t appear to anyone else❤.

@Twiga 🌷. Good thinking!