Atlanta Vampire Alliance [AVA]

[Merticus]

How Energy Vampires Keep You Tired, Fat!
By John McGran
eDiets Editor-in-Chief

http://www.ediets.com/news/article.cfm/cmi_1505991/cid_6/code_24045/

October 19, 2005 Pages(4):   1 | 2 | 3 | Next Page >

Sadly, it also earned me the right to say I am sick and tired of being thick and tired. I needed more energy. My new diet and fitness plan are a good start, but just the other day I learned there's something else I need -- the ability to block out an Energy Vampire. Much like their namesakes, these Energy Vampires drain the life from you.

No, they don't do it by sinking their teeth into your neck and sucking out every last drop of your blood. These Energy Vampires are much more subtle. They suck you into a tale of woe and keep loading you down with the bad stuff until you feel like screaming. But in many cases you settle for eating away their pain.

And this is why Energy Vampires are scarier than the movieland monsters made famous in such classic black-and-white fright flicks as Noseferatu and Dracula. Sure, those guys were scary but you knew what they were after. It's not that easy with your family members or co-workers. Once these bad news bearers get hold of your ear, you're toast.

What's that? You're thinking Mr. Bad Food has once again eaten poorly then watched too many episodes of Night Stalker or The X-Files before hitting the hay and plunging into dreamland? I knew you were gonna say that. That's why I sat down last week with Dr. Judith Orloff, a board-certified psychiatrist and author of the best-selling Positive Energy, a book now available in paperback.

Dr. Orloff cut her fangs -- um, make that teeth -- treating one lethargic patient after another the past two decades at her private practice. She tells eDiets that energy vampires are lurking everywhere. And they have the crafty ability to don many different disguises... from needy relatives to workplace bullies.

"These Energy Vampires are people who suck your vital energy and leave you feeling depleted and exhausted," Dr. Orloff warns. "Whether they do so intentionally or not, these people can make you feel overwhelmed, depressed, defensive, angry and wiped out."

Know any Energy Vampires? I sure do! The more I thought about what Dr. Orloff was telling me, the clearer it became that I was surrounded by these fiends. I won't name names, but it makes me tired just thinking of the naysayers who phone, email or IM me on a regular basis. (No, I am NOT talking about YOU...) Heck, I'm sure there are times I am guilty of practicing energy-sucking on my friends and family! ---

Fortunately, Dr. Orloff has developed a silver bullet: self-defense techniques to help you fend off attacks and preserve your positive energy.

First step: recognize the many types of Energy Vampires. See if any of these dscriptions from a CNN interview sound familiar. And be sure to grab a copy of Positive Energy and check out all nine types.

The Sob Sister: She's a whiner. The world is against her. Someone else is always to blame for her unhappiness. This is the person who rehashes the same old points over and over again, and every solution you suggest is met with a reason why she can't do what you suggest.

The Blamer: Less benign than the Sob Sister, the Blamer is in attack mode. He berates, he guilt-trips and he's often verbally abusive. Where the Sob Sister washes you in negativity, the Blamer punches you with it. In this case, it's not the world's fault, it's your fault.

The Drama Queen: Starting every sentence with "Oh my God, you'll never guess what happened," the Drama Queen's life is one of extremes, good or bad. She goes from crisis to crisis feeding off of chaos. Whether she's breaking up with her boyfriend for the third time this week or fretting that the newly found spot on her arm is a sign of her imminent death, nothing just happens to this person, instead, it HAPPENS! She wears us out by serving up a concentrate of emotion.

The Constant Talker: A motor mouth. "He's only concerned with himself, his stories, his opinions, his jokes." He wears you down like "a relentlessly yipping Chihuahua who badly needs a walk."

The Go-for-the-Jugular Fiend: Envious, insecure or just competitive, this person won't hesitate to cut you down every chance he gets. He is an insult waiting to happen. The worst of all the energy vampires, this type of person should come with a warning label. "Beware. Excessive exposure can cause illnesses from chronic fatigue to depression."

Dr. Orloff lists the warning signs of negative energy as:


You experience a sense of being demeaned, constricted or attacked.


You intuitively feel unsafe, tenses or on guard.


You sense prickly, off-putting vibes. You can't wait to get away from them.


Your energy starts to fizzle. You may feel beleaguered or ill.It's bad enough that these Energy vampires drain your energy. What's worse is that many of us resort to overeating in a subconscious, vain attempt to defend ourselves from this terrible negative energy that bombards us at work, home, school... anywhere! ---

So instead of feeling tired and fat all the time, take action. For starters, SET BOUNDARIES! Dr. Orloff urges you to limit the length and content of what you are willing to listen to. Before it gets too much, put a stop to it. It's your health and welfare we're talking about.

Besides, how many times can you listen to the same sob story from your gal pal or best buddy?

For other great strategies and for ways to find that lost energy without drugs, turn to Positive Energy. The book's subtitle is 10 Extraordinary Prescriptions for Transforming Fatigue, Stress & Fear into Vibrance, Strength & Love. And that's what you get from this eye-opening look at Energy Vampires and the power of positivity.

You can find out more about Energy Vampires and other fascinating subjects at drjudithorloff.com.

Dr. Orloff, fangs for the memories!
_________________
- Merticus

[zero]

This is a perfect example of why it's so hard to sort out Real Vampirism in the media. When "vampire" can be used this widely and haphazardly, the word really has no meaning at all.

This is also why we have such a hard time explaining to people that when New Age psychologists talk about combatting "vampires" in a self-help context, they are not talking about us!

Metaphor, folks. Seventh grade English lessons. Use 'em or lose 'em.

On the other hand, it's good advice. It's also a very "vampire" attitude; vampires tend to deal with whiners, drama queens, blamers, and negative energy in their lives in similar ways - we leave. If we can't help, or make things better, we go where things can be made better, hang out with people who won't take everything the world hands them and turn it lame and crappy. We're so sensitive to the energy in our environment that we're compelled to either improve it or go somewhere that's better. We are empathic, and if we make the people around us miserable, we just crapped in our own kiddie pool, and we still have to swim in it. Who does that? Really?

So, those fatiguey depressey people that Orloff is treating could learn something from real energy vampires, it seems.

Maybe we should write our own self-help book. "Twelve vampire steps to a healthier you!" "Nourishing the child (of the night) within." "Nightly affirmations." "Pig's blood soup for the soul."

yep, we'll make a million.

[WhiteDove421]

i agree with you and how that article basiclly labels us. I dont "attack" anyone. People with "drama" in their lives have always either found me or i have found them. and if its no good and i cant help then i leave the situation for fear that i will make it worse. but i guess thats just me.

white dove421

[Eclecta]

Best to stay away from anyone with a large amount of drama, because it can suck you in...
_________________
"Love is the law, love under will."

[Amber Mallis]

Eh, I hate Drama...
I'm in actual "Drama classes" and it is true, actors and techies do have drama (I try to stay away from them as much as possible!). Luckily I don't have thick drama like they do.
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"Always be open-minded or let yourself waver underneath the truth."

[Verdammt]

This board is rather annoying to me. I know you might thing that im idiotic or something because im only 16, yet this topic offends me. I hate how they could label us like that. I don't attack anyone eaither.
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[]==['' ' '' '' ' '']}>------

[Merticus]

? - assume you mean post... hence the reason we "posted" it in the first place. To highlight the broad brush strokes of the description used to refer to "vampire", etc. ie: our opposition in kind.
_________________
- Merticus

[nightchild]

hence to those whom keep charging others is because there lives are going nowhere and they are bored with themselves and hate themselves, they have nothing better to do then this.
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who dares not speak his free thoughts is a slave.Euripides

[cathmael]

They are using the classic psych definition of a Psychic Vampire, rather than the "modern" one that Vampire one we use. It's just a matter of POV.

[nightchild]

times are a changing the world is no longer a place where thing's go without notice of the others. whom have been living in secrecy not ploting anything just doing what ever it takes to survive.
but what would happen when one takes away energy form the wrong person example: a psychic unstable person whom's energy is out of balance.
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who dares not speak his free thoughts is a slave.Euripides

[gothik]

this should be a great source of humor for us. I know I'll be laughing all the way to bed tonite!

[nightchild]

now would you really? héhéhéhéhéhéhéhéhé
_________________
who dares not speak his free thoughts is a slave.Euripides

[Eclecta]

NC, you crack me up! LOL
_________________
"Love is the law, love under will."

[nightchild]

thank you for your vote of confidence Eclecta.
_________________
who dares not speak his free thoughts is a slave.Euripides