Emotional vampires are parasitic humans that drain empaths and other sympathetic types of individuals. You’ll know them by their patterns and habits. There are certain things emotional vampires do to feed off your energy.
If you thought vampires from books and movies were terrifying, there are worse things than those monsters. I’ve often said that physical ailments just can’t hold a candle to emotional pain. If you’ve ever encountered an emotional vampire, you might agree with me.
The emotional vampire brings anxiety, depression, and confusion, and worsens existing struggles, both physical and mental. Their arsenal of pain is pretty impressive.
Things emotional vampires do
If you aren’t familiar with emotional vampires, that’s fine. It took me years to understand this type of psychological warfare. And I am still learning the signs and how to deal with them effectively.
However, there are a few things I can share about emotional vampires and the things they do to feed off your energy. Check these out, make a list, and protect yourself… please.
1. Immobilization
When you’re affected by a toxic person such as this, you may feel immobilized. This means, for a little while, it may be difficult to separate from the emotions induced by their presence.
These strange feelings are similar to symptoms of anxiety or PTSD, including not being able to do things you enjoy, feeling frozen, or experiencing physical issues. Immobilization can leave you with your palms sweaty, heart racing, and nausea.
2. Competitiveness
Do you know what it means to “one-up” someone? This is one of the things emotional vampires do. Well, you see, energy-type vampires that prey on emotions will always try to do better than someone who’s just achieved something.
It’s not okay that you’ve won something or completed a difficult assignment (oh, no!). An emotional vampire must do better than you. It’s a way to keep you on a lower level so that they can feel superior.
3. Disorientation
The emotional vampire can leave you feeling disoriented after being with them. This type of drain is recognized by manipulative speech patterns. They will talk in circles, sounding as if they’re saying something very important.
In truth, they are weaving a web to confuse you, leaving you with more questions than answers. The real power behind this is the ability to convince you that you’ve confused yourself.
4. Criticism
Do me a favor and never ask a toxic person what they think about your latest article or painting. They will always find something wrong with it. And why, you might ask. Well, it’s just not okay for them if you do something awesome on your own. It’s never going to be okay, and I bet you’ll rarely hear the words: “Well done“.
5. Playing the victim
Emotional vampires attach themselves to you with their victimhood. When you offer advice or positive insight, they counter with “but” statements. Nothing is ever good enough to solve their presented problems, it seems.
And, the most unfortunate part of this situation is that you come away from them feeling drained, hence the vampire aspect. Yes, victims are real, but usually, they grow into survivors and push through. However, the emotional vampire would rather remain in victimhood to continue feeding. It serves a toxic satiation.
6. Controlling behavior
A person using toxic strategies will always make sure they are staying in control. This is true for the emotional blood-sucker as well. Control means being on top, being the priority, and being important.
And when one is in control, the other is a follower, or source of energy, in this situation. Retaining control makes sure that the energy supply is always available and ready, never seeing the truth of the dynamic.
7. Entitlement
Of course, emotional vampires are always entitled. This entitlement keeps sources of energy coming back to assist in some imaginary exchange.
Entitlement to this type of vampire means asserting importance, dominance, and relevance among friends, family, or intimate partners. Yes, an emotional vampire can thrive in intimate relationships because there’s a steady boost of reassurance.
8. Other forms of manipulation
There are many other forms of manipulation that an emotional vampire uses. These individuals are generally on the grandiose side of the narcissistic spectrum. They thrive on gaslighting, triangulation, and isolation of other people to gain energy.
Manipulation becomes such a woven part of their being that they rarely remove the façade to show their true character.
Emotional vampires are more than they seem
Emotional vampires are actually just forms of energy vampires. In fact, not only do they drain others of love and emotion, but they also cause great fatigue in the process.
If you feel tired and frustrated every time you deal with a certain person in your life, they may be an emotional vampire. It’s important to consider each of these points when making that assessment in your life.
And as with anything else, learning to deal with these toxic individuals can be daunting. Most of the time, distance is the only thing that will keep you safe from the toxic things emotional vampires do. Even family members can rank in this category, making it even more difficult to cope.
But here’s the thing: if you continue to work on yourself, building your self-worth and doing healthy introspection, then dealing with these individuals will be a much easier task.
I do hope if you are experiencing the struggles of dealing with an emotional vampire, that you can successfully find a solution. I wish you well.
