Vampires exist and are among us. We are not referring to those pale beings with sharp fangs who enjoy immortality thanks to the warm blood of living beings. We are referring to emotional vampires: people whose social interaction is not based on symbiosis and exchange, but on parasitizing the energy, emotions, and vitality of the other. Despite not being a scientific concept, it is a recurring term in psychologists' consultations. Recognizing emotional vampires – just like narcissistic people – and learning to deal with them on a day-to-day basis is not an easy task, but it can help us considerably improve our emotional well-being.
Like narcissists, not all emotional vampires behave in the same way. Nor are many aware of the damage that their attitudes cause to the people around them. Here we describe what types we can usually find and what strategies they use to undermine our energy.
They are characterized by their egocentrism; when they relate, they seek that only their point of view is taken into account, so they will tend to invalidate any opinion or emotion of those around them. This desire for prominence seeks to feed his own ego and put it before the wishes of anyone else. Empathy does not enter into their plans and they will feed on the self-esteem of others.
Everything that happens to them is an injustice and, far from overcoming and looking for solutions to their misfortunes, they use them to monopolize the conversation and, incidentally, the relationship. They feed on condescension, therefore, they will never be able to recognize that others also have problems or suffer injustice. It is easy to recognize them because the advice or solutions you give them are never worth it.
His verbiage will generate discouragement and demotivation since it never stops. It's how they manage not to have to listen to what other people are saying. This is how his total disinterest in others is reflected. They are delighted to listen to themselves and, moreover, they are incapable of listening to others. They are also characterized by being impervious to the body language of their interlocutor: even if they notice you uncomfortable, they will not shut up.
The small setbacks of everyday life become, in the experience of these vampires, authentic melodramatic passages. In this way, they pervert our judgment and manage to prevent us from being strict or even-handed with them.
The food of these vampires is clearly the will of others. They present themselves vehemently, brimming with wisdom; a wisdom that you should apply to your life, regardless of your own opinion. If you feel that you are being gaslighted, you are probably facing a person of this type.
