VAMPIRES ARE REAL!

No, I don't mean the kind of Vampire that is romanticized in the Twilight Saga, or the Anne Rice novels.  I am pretty sure my steady diet of garlic will keep those at bay...  I am talking about the Vampires that exist in our everyday lives.

In her book "Emotional Freedom", UCLA psychiatrist Judith Orloff, MD talks about the emotional vampires in our lives.  Whether they do so intentionally or not, these people can make us feel overwhelmed, depressed, defensive, angry, and wiped out.  The consequence of not being able to defend against these "Emotional Vampires" can be unhealthy behaviors and symptoms, such as overeating, isolating, mood swings, or feeling fatigued.

In an interesting video, r. Orloff talks to people about what emotional freedom means to them and she gets some interesting responses: VIDEO.

Her book discusses several different types of Vampire.  Do you have a relationship with anyone on this list?

The Narcissist:  Delusions of grandeur
The Victim:  Believes the world is against him/her
The Controller:  Opinionated, rigid sense of right and wrong, needs to dominate
The Criticizer:  Feels qualified to judge and belittle everything
The Splitter:  Friendly one day and attacks the next.  Rageaholic who enjoys causing drama.

While it may be true, that we may have one or more of these people (external influences) in our lives, it  can also be argued that these Vampires exist within each of us as thoughts, emotions, and habits.   I'd argue that as internal thoughts, these Vampiric parasites can do a lot more damage than as external influences (people).  When these thought patterns occur we have to recognize them for what they are and be able to defend against them, or stop them altogether.

The video I mentioned above begins to touch upon the universal truth that once we achieve peace with ourselves, we can then begin the work of achieving peace in the world around us.

Only through recognition and practice can we rid and/or protect ourselves against these Vampiric people or behaviors.  Take a minute in your life and start to find those things that sap your energy, self-confidence, or inner peace.  Question why you allow it to happen.  Then find constructive ways to defend against or avoid those patterns or people altogether. 

..... I am still practicing recognizing these things within myself....and eating lots of garlic (just in case)!