Energy vampires: what are "energy thieves" and how they behave
Have you ever felt tired, exhausted and without energy managing certain types of relationships in your life? If the answer is yes, and it is very likely that it is, there is a very good chance that you are dealing with a person who meets the definition of an energy vampire, or emotional vampire in psychology.
The definition seems bizarre, almost ridiculous, yet it is well targeted: these people, in fact, knowingly or unknowingly, tend to literally suck the energies of those around them to exploit them to their advantage. The result? The vampire comes out gratified and invigorated, but we remain tired and extremely exhausted.
How to recognize an energy vampire: characteristics of the emotional vampire
The first sign that tells us that we are in the presence of a vampire is the sense of tiredness and difficulty that is felt in managing our interpersonal relationship with it. Any discussion becomes tiring, whatever the topic. Generally, he has a constant need to be reassured, and therefore almost obsessively asks for confirmation, with phrases such as "Are you angry with me?", Or "Did I do something wrong?", " There is something wrong?". If this could at first be misunderstood, or even justified, as a gesture of altruism ("I'm interested in your well-being"), it should actually be interpreted as "reassure me that I'm not doing anything wrong":
This type of attitude is, however, harmful and establishes mechanisms that, in the long run, can undermine the relationship: the vampire will increasingly need reassurance, while the person dealing with it will ask himself more and more doubts: "I'm wrong something? "," are not enough to guarantee the well-being of this person?
Other typical manifestations are the "hypercriticality towards the neighbor and the vision of the neighbor himself as a source from which to draw indiscriminately and repeatedly. But the most powerful weapon is certainly the emotional blackmail, that is to make us feel guilty in order to then be able to exploit, even manipulate, more easily.
Conscious and unaware energy vampires
The condition of "vampire" does not always imply malice or intentionality: in fact, it is often people with their own psychological blocks, who tend to project their difficulties onto others, never acknowledging them, but exploiting the strength of their interlocutor instead of acting for solving their problems.
Unknowingly, the person may need some sort of crutch to hold on to constantly, as mentioned earlier; sometimes, on the other hand, they are people with a strong ego, even apparent ones, or extremely exuberant individuals who do not hesitate to overlook, like a sort of tank, the needs and necessities of their neighbors to satisfy their own.
There are also conscious energy vampires, which are perhaps the worst of all, as they act intentionally: he is a narcissistic energy vampire, who knows perfectly well that in order to progress in his life, both the personal one and, for example, working, he needs to "steal" energy and vitality from those around him. Then use his superpower to subjugate people of good heart and willing to help him achieve their goals, whatever they may be.
How to defend yourself from an energy vampire in love, in the family, at work
The first step is not to feel naive: falling into the trap of these people is much easier than you think, especially since these people tend to be in our closest circle: a parent, a sibling, a partner or a close friend. The danger lies precisely in emotional blackmail: you are likely to be fond of this person, and therefore it is difficult for you not to comply with his requests.
If you care about the person in question, one step could be to begin to point out these attitudes as cautiously as possible, manifesting your unhappiness and discomfort - if you are lucky and are dealing with an intelligent and self-critical person. , it will begin to pay more attention and your relationship can begin to improve. Another method is to propose the help of a professional, a therapist, a psychologist. Even in this case, however, there must be the will of the vampire. to change.
However, if you are dealing with a resistant vampire, sadly you will have no choice but to break off with them. These people undermine self-esteem, serenity and happiness in your life - never as in this case, then, it is necessary to say: better alone than badly accompanied!
