8 Toxic Signs of Energy Vampires
What is an energy vampire? According to Dr. Judith Orloff, a psychiatrist on the University of California Psychiatric Clinical Faculty, “An energy vampire is somebody who literally zaps your energy dry.”
Another definition of an energy vampire on the website, TheDreamCatch.com states, “An energy vampire is a person who feeds off your emotions and life force. They get their energy fix by preying on and consuming the vitality of their victims, leaving them feeling drained.”
Who are energy vampires? Energy vampires can be your friends, family members, coworkers, boss, spouse, partner, neighbor, or a stranger who suck your emotional energy dry.
‘Energy vampire’ isn’t a clinical term or diagnosis currently. Christiane Northrup, MD, author of the recent book "Dodging Energy Vampires," explains that energy vampire characteristics do tend to map to “cluster B” personality disorders — the ones where people tend to have dramatic, overly emotional or erratic thinking or behavior — which are fairly common.
For those who are unaware, spending too much time with energy vampires can make you physically and emotionally sick.
Dr. Northrup said, “What makes energy vampires so toxic is that they can be sources of chronic stress, especially if the energy vampire is someone you can’t avoid — such as a spouse, a parent, or a boss. You’re constantly walking on eggshells around that person; waiting for the next shoe to drop.”
Four well-known energy vampires include:
1. Narcissists
3. Sociopaths
2. Flying Monkeys
4. Psychopaths
To sum it up, anyone who is toxic and abusive could be an energy vampire. Trust your gut.
8 Toxic Signs of an Energy Vampire:
1. Gaslighting – According to Merium Webster Dictionary, “Gaslighting is psychological manipulation of a person over ana extended period of time that causes the victim to question their own memories, thoughts, and perception of reality.”
2. Controlling – Wherever there is an emotional vampire, there will be a control freak who tries to overpower you. If they can’t control you anymore, they will try to control how others view you.
3. Passive-Aggressive Behaviors – People who are passive-aggressive will rarely ask for what they want. Instead, they’re sneaky, cunning, and they will manipulate you into doing what they want you to do.
4. Chronic Complainers – The energy vampire is a chronic complainer who whines about everything. They have a daily pity party crying, “Woe is me!” They want to be the center of attention, even if it’s negative attention. Chronic complainers are exhausting!
5. Guilt-Mongering – Those who are an energy vampire will use guilt as a favorite weapon to hurt you. Once they can make you feel guilty, they use it as a way out of taking personal accountability for their own toxic words, actions, and behaviors.
6. Crossed Boundaries – An energy vampire doesn’t have boundaries, nor do they respect you and your boundaries. A clear sign of an energy vampire is when someone crosses your boundaries repeatedly.
7. Nonstop Criticisms – The energy vampire is a highly judgmental person who will verbally rip you to shreds. They constantly criticize you, harshly judge you, bully you, and say cruel remarks about you.
8. Intent to Harm – Lastly, the energy vampire has the intention to harm you in whatever manner they choose. It could be financial abuse, physical abuse, mental abuse, sexual abuse, spiritual abuse, stealing from you, withholding important legal information from you, spreading rumors to destroy your reputation, and creating smear campaigns against you.
Other ways to determine that you’re dealing with an energy vampire is building awareness about your body sensations and how you feel. Tap into all five of your senses.
Some signs include that you feel:
1. Physically exhausted
2. Emotionally drained
3. Confusion
4. Headaches, migraines, vertigo
5. Depression & anxiety
6. Lack of support (you may feel betrayed)
7. Triggered by them
8. Burnt out & stressed out
9. You sense intense negative energy around you
It’s vital that you learn how to “draw the line” around these types of people. Gain facts, wisdom, and a better understanding about who you are dealing with.
"The only people who get upset about you setting boundaries are the ones who were benefitting from you having none." ~ Unknown Author
It is crucial to set healthy boundaries and to detach from energy vampires. By all means, if they don’t respect you and your boundaries, you can show them to the door.
"May you reach that level within where you no longer allow your past or people with toxic intentions to negatively affect or condition you." — Lalah Delia
For those who have dealt with energy vampires, and you're interested in extra support, you may consider my Certified Energy Healing sessions. To learn more about how energy healing can improve your health, life, trauma recovery, relationships, and to move forward to heal, visit my page here: https://www.danaarcuri.com/energyhealing
If you prefer Certified Trauma Recovery Coaching and Certified Energy Healing, here's the link to my Breakthrough Packages, which incorporate both services. https://www.danaarcuri.com/breakthrough
Today's blog post was turned into a YouTube video. You may view it here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFRI8TK7F0k
In a future blog post, I will provide tips on how to release toxic energies and steps to promote a healthier, happier environment for you and your home.