How To Identify Emotional Vampires (And What To Do About Them)
As much as we’d like to deny it, emotions are a big part of our everyday lives. From the immense joy we feel upon getting good news to the sorrow we feel upon receiving a heartbreaking revelation, emotions are inevitable. But like anything else in life, when emotions are taken to an extreme, they can become a potential source of negative influence. That’s because emotions are powerful. They can either help you lead a happy, healthy life or knock you off track and convince you to make decisions that you’ll later regret. And, as is the case with any power, some people will use it against you if they think they can get away with it.
These people are known as “emotional vampires.” They’re more likely to make an appearance in your life if you’re vulnerable to their influence. They’ll attempt to exploit your natural tendency to act on your emotions and use that against you. They’ll try to get you to do or say things that you’ll later regret. But rather than getting caught up in their web of deceit, you should take precautions to protect yourself from their emotional manipulation. The sooner you identify a potential emotional vampire in your life, the sooner you can begin taking the appropriate steps to protect yourself.
What is an Emotional Vampire?
The term “emotional vampire” has been used in various contexts to describe people who have a negative impact on the lives of others. They are typically manipulative, often insecure, and use their emotions like weapons to get what they want. Some examples of emotional vampires include:
-A coworker who is constantly criticizing your work
-A friend who takes advantage of your generosity
-A spouse who cheats on you repeatedly or flirts with others
-An acquaintance who complains about everything
Learn How to Spot Red Flags
One of the best ways to identify if someone is an emotional vampire is to spot any red flags. They’ll try to take advantage of your emotional vulnerability, so they will typically lack empathy, be self-centered, and use guilt as a manipulative tool. If you notice any of these traits in a person in your life, you should put up your guard and do everything you can to protect yourself from their influence.
How to Protect Yourself from an Emotional Vampire
Emotional vampires can be hard to spot. They’ll do their best to appear kind, friendly, and trustworthy to gain your trust and confidence. And when they do finally reveal their true colors, you may find yourself unable to detach from them. But there are some telltale signs that can help you identify an emotional vampire before it’s too late.
The first sign is a lack of empathy for others. Emotional vampires will always make themselves the center of the conversation and refuse to acknowledge what you might be feeling or going through at the moment. They don’t care about how other people feel; all they care about is getting what they want from the situation and using any means necessary.
Another sign is an intense need for validation. Emotional vampires will constantly seek attention and validation from others while refusing any offers of help in return. This allows them to continue exploiting your emotions to feed their own need for validation.
A third sign is a lack of understanding for feelings other than theirs. Emotional vampires won’t take time to understand where others are coming from emotionally or what they might be feeling at the moment. All they’re concerned with is taking advantage of whatever opportunity presents itself so that they can satisfy their own desires regardless of how it affects anyone else involved in the situation.
The Bottom Line
Vampires suck the life out of you. And while they might not be physically draining your blood, they’re still sucking the life out of you emotionally. Emotional vampires have a way of making you do things that you’ll later regret and feed off your emotions when it is to their advantage. You should always watch these types of people as they may try to take advantage of your vulnerabilities. If you find someone in your life who fits the description, it’s time to get rid of them.