Episode 12: Energy Vampires - The Victim

Here's an interesting type of energy vampire that I think everyone has in common. The Victim. Yes - I know, we’ve all unintentionally settled into the victim mentality every now and then but we don’t want to live there. 

I’m talking about the type of Energy Vampire Victim who is living in their “victimhood”. 

As empaths, these energy vampires can really drain our energy and leave us feeling like we've absorbed all of their problems. We walk away feeling heavy, frustrated, and wondering what just happened to make us feel so low.

Here are just a few of the signs to watch out for: 

• They have a constant attitude of "poor me"
• They're allergic to taking responsibility for their actions
• The world is always against them and this seems to be the reason for their unhappiness
• When you offer a solution to their problems they tend to respond with, "yes, but..."
• Over time, you might find yourself screening their calls or purposely avoid them.
• As a friend, you may want to help but their tales of woe just overwhelm you too much.  

Now, I never want to just leave you thinking about all the problems without giving you simple, real-life strategies. That’s what I’m here for! 

Here’s how to protect your emotions: 

• Set kind but firm limits 
• Listen briefly and tell your friend or loved one, "I love you but I can only listen for a few minutes ⏱ unless you want to discuss solutions. Then I'd be more than happy to brainstorm solutions with you."
• If you're dealing with a coworker, listen briefly, then sympathize by saying something like, "I'll keep good thoughts for things to work out. I hope you understand, but I'm on a deadline and must get back to work." 
• You can also use your body language that says, "this isn't a good time" like crossing your arms and breaking eye contact to help set these healthy limits.  

Empaths can easily feel like the "wilted flower" 🥀 when we're around energy vampires. It's the feeling that you're drained of all life force.

If you have a topic you'd like me to cover or a question you'd like answered, please send me an email. [email protected]

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