Last Updated: June 28, 2025
We’ve all met these types of people. They are either sad, broken, emotionally dramatic, or simply narcissistic. Somehow they refuse to own their stuff and seek to improve themselves. While these people deserve our love and compassion, they do not necessarily deserve our attention or time.
Are you feeling continuously drained at work, home, or social events? Do you often feel stressed so you cannot enjoy the things you once loved? Are you feeling unmotivated and unable to engage in life?
These symptoms may be surfacing for several reasons:
An introverted personality strained by constant social interaction
Depression born from repressed emotions
Confusion due to various life stressors and changes
Or
Being the victim of an Energy Vampire!
Not sure if the source of your problems is an Energy Vampire? There are some telltale signs that your energy is being drained without you being conscious of it. Even though you have a busy and fulfilling life, you might feel lonely, lost, confused, exhausted or unloved. You might feel as though nobody truly knows you, hears you, or “gets” you. When we are loving a narcissist, it’s easy to lose site of our needs that have long-gone unmet.
Energy vampires manifest in many different forms. Maybe a parent or close relative constantly commands your attention while also provoking your guilt for taking any time for yourself.
Perhaps a coworker is a considerable presence at your workplace and doesn’t care who they hurt amid their climb to the top. Maybe you have a friend who constantly involves you in their personal drama without considering your personal space and wellbeing.
At the end of the day, energy vampires can be anyone. To figure out the source of this stress, focus on these points while you meditate:
Do you feel drained after conversations?
Do you feel like your life is engulfed in someone else’s problems?
When you try to express your thoughts or feelings to someone else, are you made to feel guilty or crazy?
Most of all: do you fail to see yourself as the center of your own life?
Are you ready to take back your life and cast out all that bad energy?
It’s time to learn which people in your life are sucking the happiness right out of you and preventing you from enjoying the activities you once enjoyed!
What is an Energy Vampire?
At first, the term “Energy Vampire” seems fantastical, but it’s becoming a
At first, the term “Energy Vampire” seems fantastical, but it’s becoming a common term used to label several types of personalities. So what are energy vampires? Simply put, Energy Vampires are people who feed on your energy and who selfishly use that energy solely for themselves, kind of like new-age narcissists.
That definition makes it seem like these people are dark, twisted villains who are looking for vulnerable people to prey upon, but that’s not often the case. Most of the time, Energy Vampires don’t realize how challenging they are or how their toxic personality traits affect the people around them.
Certain personalities lend themselves to evolving into Energy Vampires due to learned behavior. It’s possible that Mom or Dad was an Energy Vampire and nurtured their child into an equally dramatic and needy personality. Or maybe the Vamp in your life had a difficult childhood and now craves attention from anyone that will lend an ear. Unable to give to others reciprocally, they become accustomed to unstable and imbalanced relationships.
Like many other behaviors, Energy-Vampirism is often representative of an unconscious lifestyle that can go undetected by the person exhibiting it for a lifetime.
Which Types Of Energy Vampires Should You Be Aware Of?
There’s no single type of Energy Vampire, but there are common recurring players (types of toxic energy vampires) to look out for:
The Victim Energy Vampire
These energy vampires are always on the lookout for sympathy and see themselves as the ones always wronged. They are victimized and let everyone know it. They seek constant support, validation, and reassurance – no matter what’s going on in your own life.
Constant Criticizing Vampire
The criticizer will quickly point out all of your flaws, and everyone else’s without anything positive to say. From your choices to what a passing stranger is doing, they’re often passive-aggressive and quick to judge and leave you feeling inadequate.
Melodramatic Energy Vampires
Melodramatic Energy Vampires need to be the center of attention at all times and tend to blow things out of proportion to keep the focus on themselves. They can sometimes be entertaining, but are also leaving tension and endless drama in their wake.
Manipulative Energy Vampires
Whether they need a favor, attention or money, these types of Energy Vampires are always trying to manipulate you to get what they need, when they need it. They’re also extremely unlikely to return the favor when you need it.
Chronic Complaining Vampires
Have you ever had to work with someone who is a chronic complainer? Or spend the day with someone who finds fault in absolutely everything and everyone? Energy Vampires who chronically complain leave you feeling drained and questioning if there’s any joy in life.
Blame Shifting Energy Vampires
More than just shrugging off blame, these types of Energy Vampires seem to attract trouble and never take accountability for their actions. There’s always a reason they’re broke, in a fight, in trouble with the law, can’t keep up with projects at work, or experiencing family issues – and someone else is always to blame.
Manipulative Vampires
Manipulators are highly skilled at using advanced emotional tactics to get what they want out of you. From guilt to love bombing, they can leave you apologizing for their own bad behavior and second-guessing yourself.
More often than not, you’ll come across Energy Vampires that have a combination of these traits that they’ll draw on to get what they want and suck you dry.
How to Spot Energy Vampires?
Just because you know what types of Energy Vampires there are doesn’t mean spotting them is always easy, especially if these folks are close to you. Spotting an Energy Vampire might be difficult, especially if these folks are close to you. It can be hard to see relatives, friends, and coworkers with an objective point of view. Further, Energy Vampires can emerge within a broad spectrum of a variety of personalities and behaviors.
At the very least, Energy Vampires are often narcissistic. They assume that the world revolves around them and that everyone exists to serve them in some way. Emotionally or psychologically entrenched in their desires and problems, they cannot consider other peoples’ needs and feelings. Every time you encounter them, you might be unable to get a word in to express your thoughts and feelings.
In the middle of the spectrum, these narcissistic Energy Vampires become manipulative. They actively use you to get what they want, whether it’s constant attention, validation, an exalted ego, or worse. These people demonstrate little concern for how their ongoing needs affect you. Whether they’re conscious of it or not, they take advantage of everyone around them.
On the extreme end, these types of narcissistic Energy Vampires are psychopathic. Their social behavior is often exaggerated or intense due to innate aggression or ongoing mood instability. This type of person is draining because you’re either constantly giving to them, tensely on guard, or nervously uncertain about what they’ll do next. In many ways, you might be bracing yourself for the eventual and likely consequences of their behavior.
Sound familiar? You might have at least one person in your life that exhibits this Energy-Vampirism type of behavior. If you’re not sure, then ask yourself if there’s a particular person that leaves you feeling exhausted and stressed after every encounter.
Who Is Most Vulnerable To Energy Vampires And Why? Who Do Energy Vampires Target?
Because these human black holes drain energy from those around them, they thrive in social situations when more vulnerable, passive people are available to them. The ideal victim of an Energy Vampire is someone who always sees the good in others, listens to those who need to vent, and doesn’t stand up for themselves when they feel offended or manipulated.
While we’re never truly a victim, only an experiencer of aspects of reality, one cannot help but feel lessened and burdened by ongoing exchanges with Energy Vampires.
Why Compassionate People Attract Energy Vampires
If you are a compassionate and open-hearted person, good for you! You should never choose to feel bad about your glowing and positive personality. For healthy people, you are a life-saving support system. For Energy Vampires, you’re dessert.
You give them everything they need easily and quickly, always assuming the best and seeing their beauty but not the problematic behaviours. The more you make yourself available for every exchange they require, the more you enable their behaviours.
But Energy Vampires don’t only prey on compassionate and passive people. They negatively affect everyone around them, including other Energy Vampires!
How to Protect Yourself from Energy Vampires And Recharge Your Mental Batteries
Once you’ve identified the source, you can begin to take measures to protect yourself. It’s not always as easy as cutting the Energy Vampire out of your life, but if that’s possible, it’s time to do it. If it isn’t possible, it’s time to start guarding yourself against their energy-draining effects.
Here is how you can begin to set boundaries with emotional energy vampires.
Become an Expert at Spotting These Vamps: How to Spot Energy Vampires At Work or Home
While it’s not healthy to always look for the negative aspects in people or situations, it is essential to be wary of people’s motivations and repeated actions.
Watch for signs like disrespect, excessive demands, repeated sob stories, constant criticism, negativity, snide remarks, guilt-tripping, manufactured drama, or anything else that feels off or brings chaos into your life.
Set Boundaries Like A Pro
Employ tactics that repel these people from your inner sphere. If it’s possible to block or avoid them, such as declining social events they’ll be attending, then it’s best to protect yourself by staying away.
If you can’t stay away, learn to respect yourself and set proper boundaries. Be clear about what behavior is acceptable in your relationships and stick by those rules. Protect your peace unapologetically.
Lower Your Expectations
Lower your expectations for your relationship with that person. Often, we can be our own worst enemy when we get our hopes up for a healthy relationship with someone incapable of empathy or change.
Self-Validate
Energy Vampires can be very effective in pulling us in if we rely on external validation. You might be tempted to continue the relationship in an effort to get their validation – their validation means nothing. Validate yourself.
Do Not Expend Any Energy On Them
Do not overreact, do not accept their advances, and don’t give them the responses they want. Eventually, they’ll realize you’re no longer an easy target.
Surround Yourself With The Right People
Surround yourself with people who can be your reality check. Talk to trustworthy wise friends, family or advisors who can look at the situation from an outside perspective. They can be your support system for when you need to guard yourself.
Begin To Heal
Begin to heal. Being the victim of an energy vampire for any period can be damaging to our senses of Self, our hearts, and our minds. Accepting that a person has been manipulating you and stopping the energy drain is the first step.
If this person is a parent or another significant family member, the healing process may be more complex and challenging – but all the more necessary.
Begin your healing journey by incorporating self-love practices like daily meditation, deep breathing, and reflection through a diary. You may want to also seek support through therapy or spiritual guidance.
Do you need guidance and support in setting boundaries or healing from a challenging relationship? You can book a virtual private intuitive reading with me HERE.
REMEMBER!
You are a beautiful Living Being filled with light and love, born from stardust. You are unlimited potential in every direction. With a focus on discipline, virtue, and your own goodness, you can become as expanded and liberated as you desire.
Pray for others and the Universe prays for us.
More Helpful Resources
How To Create Boundaries With Challenging Family Members
How To Set Boundaries And Sometimes Say Goodbye
Disentangling Karmic Relationships
Mindfulness, Meditation, And Other Inward Practices
Meet Paul Wagner
Paul Wagner is a Spiritual Healer, Intuitive Life & Business Coach, clairvoyant reader, and a five-time EMMY Award-winning writer. He created “THE PERSONALITY CARDS,” a powerful Oracle-Tarot deck that’s helpful in life, love, and relationships. Paul studied with Lakota elders in the Pecos Wilderness, who nurtured his empathic abilities and taught him the sacred rituals. He has lived at ashrams with enlightened masters, including Amma, the Hugging Saint, for whom he’s delivered keynotes at Her worldwide events. Learn more about Amma in Paul’s article: Amma: The Loving, Hugging, Humanitarian Saint
Paul lovingly offers profound intuitive readings, spiritual coaching, and illuminating courses to help others with self-discovery, decision-making, healing, and forgiveness. Learn more about intuitive readings with Paul HERE
Q&A
What is an energy vampire?
An energy vampire is someone who unconsciously or intentionally feeds off your emotional energy, leaving you drained, guilty, or unheard.
What are core symptoms that show you’re around an energy vampire?
Key signs include feeling continuously drained, unmotivated, stressed, or unexpectedly overwhelmed after being around certain people – even if life is otherwise fulfilling.
What types of energy vampires exist?
They include Victim (seeks pity), Constant Criticizer, Melodramatic, Manipulative, Chronic Complainer, and Blame Shifter. Many blend several of these traits.
Why do energy vampires target compassionate people?
Because kind, open-hearted individuals naturally offer empathy and attention. These vampires see them as easy emotional targets, unconsciously drawing energy from their giving nature.
How can you protect yourself from these energy vampires?
Key strategies include: learning to spot them; lowering expectations; refusing to feed their energy patterns; avoiding them when possible; setting firm boundaries; and self-healing through meditation, reflection, and self-care.
