Energy Vampires: How to deal with them?

If you spent your time on pentagram protections and actual rituals, maybe you wouldn't end up with cancer or getting hit by a train.

I don't even get why you're talking...
as if reading three books on astral projection and Kabbalah makes you an expert, or like performing a few rituals will grant your every wish at the cost of your own child's life.

Well, once that actually happens to your own kid, you'll stop playing around with this stuff.
I actually know someone like that personally...
so go ahead and be disgusted if you want, but I’m going to keep praying. I know what I'm doing, while you still have no idea what you're actually getting into.

Evil is such a subjective concept, isn't it? 😈

James Williams5 said:"Evil" is such a subjective term. 😈

😱 🙂 😁

I’m dusting this old thread off 😬 because I’ve been wondering how to deal
with those people who drain you so thoroughly that the psychological exhaustion
actually starts manifesting physically in your body.

I stumbled upon a few articles specifically about this—energy vampires,
or what some might call psychological (or even astral) vampires.

Now, look, I consider myself someone with pretty high
"vitality," if you want to call it that; I also have a strong capacity for self-healing,
I don't really fall into depressions, and I rarely get in a bad mood, though when I
do, I just retreat into solitude (usually somewhere quiet
that lets me recharge). It's actually quite rare
for anyone to drain me to the point of getting a physical headache, but
there is this one person in my life who has started draining me so much,
it’s honestly unbelievable. I want to help them—they’re dealing with some stuff—
but that’s not really the point here, except that I can't actually help them because
they just suck every bit of energy out of me, yet I can't bring myself to distance myself,
because then I’d just be sitting there feeling guilty.

Someone else mentioned in this thread, or maybe in a similar one,
that none of us ever stop to ask ourselves if we are the ones draining someone else's energy,
if we are the leeches or if we are the ones doing the exhausting.
If people are genuinely curious about that, why am I even writing about this on the internet
instead of just talking to someone in real life? Well, it's because most people
I personally thought would understand what I was talking about absolutely
have no clue what I'm trying to say, so I decided to turn to this community instead.
_______________________________
On a related note, have you ever had that feeling where being around someone makes you feel
completely calm, steady, and secure—just a beautiful sensation—but then you hang out with
someone else and suddenly you're jittery, exhausted, or on edge? I'm curious how to
avoid that feeling while still being around the people who
drain you.

I’ve been noticing more and more lately that my own presence, or the presence
of certain people, has a relaxing effect on me; no matter how much time
I spend with them, I never feel like it's enough (and I don't mean
in a romantic partner kind of way), but rather with all the people I meet throughout
my life and will continue to meet—do you think that kind of energy can ever run out?

In my experience, astral vampires always tend to circle up whenever I’m feeling depleted or exhausted. Fortunately, those moments of weakness don't last long for me; I usually bounce back pretty quickly. It’s strange, because when my energy levels are high, I feel like a locomotive that could pull a whole train of vampires behind me. They hang around, but I guess my energy just doesn't suit them, so they don't drain it—they just wait. They wait for me to dip, and then they strike to start pulling.

I look at it this way: as long as I am the one capable of giving without being forced to take, I consider myself successful. In a weird way, these vampires act as a sort of compliment or a metric for my own success.
The people who actually get drained by these types are, I suppose, vampires themselves who haven't quite mastered the skill of doing it effectively. It might sound a bit harsh, but that’s how it seems to me.
Those who truly radiate light rarely have any need to latch onto others. At least, that's my impression.

Quote: Golden drop

swiftseal69 said:It’s a rare thing, isn't it? Honestly, you almost never see it happen.
If someone really wants to drag me all the way to the border until my head starts spinning, fine—but honestly?
There’s this one person in my life right now who is just absolutely draining the soul right out of me. Seriously, how does someone even manage to be that exhausting?
It’s honestly unbelievable—I really want to step up and help her out, especially since she's dealing with some serious issues right now.
But that’s totally beside the point here, isn't it? Anyway, I can't exactly do anything to help her because...
It absolutely drains every last bit of energy out of me, but honestly? I can't bring myself to walk away.
Because then I'm just sitting here feeling like a total jerk, you know?

I pulled this specific part out because there’s actually a ton of info packed in here.

People love calling themselves "human energy bombs" or whatever, acting like they’re just absolutely bursting with positive vibes... but let's be real, isn't it just easier to label everyone else as some kind of astral vampire? It's honestly just the path of least resistance. 🤣 You know that one kid who thinks every single thing going wrong in their life is somehow the fault of the older generation? That classic "it's all the boomers' fault" attitude? 😁
Let’s be real, how many people actually want to lose their damn minds? It's not exactly a popular career choice, is it?

So you claim you want to help, but you're basically standing there with your hands tied, right? Honestly, isn't that more than enough reason to feel totally burnt out or—to use your own words—like someone just reached inside and sucked all your energy away?

Lisa Cox4 said:People love playing the victim by calling themselves these little "energy bombs" that just burst with positivity, while everyone else is some kind of astral vampire, but honestly, that’s just the path of least resistance, isn't it? 🤣 It’s basically acting like a moody teenager who thinks every single thing wrong in the world is somehow the fault of the older generation. 😁
Hardly anyone actually wants to take responsibility for themselves.

You say you want to help people but find you can't, and that seems like a perfectly valid excuse to feel drained or to claim, as you put it, that "someone has sucked the life out of you."

...personally, I think I'd know if I were draining someone else's energy because I'd actually feel better afterward,
but that hasn't happened once, so I haven't met anyone who
can recharge my batteries, or even someone who fills me up; instead, I just encounter people where
I feel safe and steady, pretty much just feeling exactly how I
already felt, rather than feeling "supplemented,"
so, there's really no reason for me to start blaming myself.
On the flip side, I also wrote that whenever I feel
exhausted or empty, I spend that time alone, never
with anyone else, just being by myself in a place that feels
right and fulfilling to me.

...I really don't get what that bolded part is supposed to mean...

swiftseal69 said:...I honestly don't get this bolded part...

Alright, let me break it down for you: 🙂

When you're busting your ass trying to pull something off and just can't... man, that'll drain you dry.

But hey... if you could just be honest with yourself about it, where would the limit even be?

Lisa Cox4 said:Here is my take on it: 🙂
When someone keeps trying and just can't get there... I guess it just wears you down.

That is basically the definition of frustration.

Well... if he were actually honest about it, maybe there would be no limit to it.

That sounds like obsession (compulsive), by definition.

So, should I just throw in the towel?
Look, I know I’ve been keeping my distance for a little while now,
but honestly, it didn't change a thing.

Maybe she’s just one of those people where I simply can't make a difference, no matter how hard I try.

swiftseal69 said:So, should I just walk away?

Easier said than done, right? Like, if you don't want to bite off more than you can chew... 🙂

Look, I did try to keep my distance for a bit,
but honestly, it didn't change a thing.

If you're really hell-bent on poking the bear😈 , isn't there a specific reason why it has to be... her?

She’s probably just the one person I actually *can't* help.

Well... I guess waiting a beat to see how the dust settles makes sense for now.🙂

swiftseal69 said:So, should I just give up?
Look, I’ve tried stepping back for a while,
but that didn't solve anything either.

It seems she might be one of those people I simply cannot help.

It is highly probable that she simply refuses to accept help. I actually have a patient of my own whom I eventually had to walk away from. Some people truly enjoy wallowing in their own mess—to put it bluntly—and they even use that misery as an excuse to avoid fully engaging with life. At least, that was the case with my patient... not that I'm rambling, though I could easily go on since I've been observing and studying her closely for four years now... but perhaps this person you're dealing with is exactly that: someone who subconsciously rejects assistance. Or, quite possibly, the timing just isn't right for them to finally pull themselves out of the wreckage.

I can't even begin to wrap my head around why anyone would even bring up a topic like this, honestly. It’s just one of those things that makes you sit back and wonder if people have actually lost their grip on reality lately? Is it just me, or does everything feel increasingly unhinged? I mean, you look at the way certain people operate, the sheer audacity of it all, and you have to ask yourself—where did we go wrong? Does anyone actually care about the truth anymore, or are we all just drifting through this chaotic mess without a compass? It feels like every time you think you've seen the peak of absurdity, someone else comes along and pushes the needle even further into the red. It's exhausting, really. Just completely draining to watch the whole thing unfold while everyone else seems perfectly content to just nod along and pretend everything is fine. But hey, maybe I'm just being cynical, right? Or maybe I'm the only one actually paying attention. kaže:
What does it even mean to "help someone," anyway? I mean, really think about it for a second. Is it just handing someone a twenty because they're short on rent, or is it something deeper, like actually stepping up when things get messy? People throw that word around like it’s some simple, one-size-fits-all concept, but it’s never that straightforward, is it? It could be anything from fixing a neighbor's flat tire in a rainy suburb outside Chicago to something much more heavy, like being there for a friend when their whole world is falling apart. Does helping someone imply you're taking over their problems, or are you just giving them the tools to handle it themselves? It's a slippery slope, honestly. One person's lifeline is another person's interference, and I feel like we spend half our lives trying to figure out where that line is drawn without ever actually getting an answer.

Just one day without the tears, you know? Just one single day where nothing actually hurts.

The Executioner said:but what does it even mean to 'help someone'?

Exactly! I mean, how can you actually be sure that what you're offering is what she really needs? Sometimes, your "help" might just end up being an obstacle in her way.
Maybe she just needs to be herself for some completely different reasons.

It might be worth trying to look at this from a different angle—a third perspective, maybe...

But honestly, I think the smartest move is probably just to step back.

The whole issue comes down to what happens when I step away; her condition
just takes a nosedive, which is exactly why I mentioned feeling so much guilt,
because while she’s with me, things are fine, but honestly, I’m just a total wreck,
and once we're apart, I'm doing alright, but she becomes absolutely impossible to handle.

swiftseal69 said:So, should I just walk away?
Look, I pulled back for a while,
but that didn't fix anything either.

It turns out she might just be someone I can't help.

Your situation hits too close to home. I spent years with someone who completely drained me. No matter how much effort I put into lifting them up, nothing worked. I was the one sinking. After years of this, I finally ended it—mostly because during the last two years, I had distanced myself enough to realize what healthy relationships actually look like and how good it feels to be around decent people. I had two choices: flee from that person entirely or try to maintain a "lite" version of the relationship. I chose the latter. Maybe I wasn't strong enough for the first option. Either way, I started living my own life, though the flashbacks still hit. Every time I saw that energy vampire, my battery hit zero, only to recharge just enough to face them again. It's been four years now, and I'm still struggling to find my footing.
If you can, just walk away.

swiftseal69 said:The issue arises when I pull away; her condition
worsens. That’s why I mentioned feeling guilty.
When she’s with me, she's fine. But I’m fragile,
and when we're apart, I'm fine while she becomes impossible.

Look, you're just assuming that's how it works. She isn't doing better when she's with you, nor is she doing worse when she isn't. She has simply manipulated you through emotional blackmail.
The only reality is your reaction to her. That is the only metric you can—and must—use to judge the situation.