Can an empath be an energy vampire? (A complete guide)

In this article, we will answer the question ‘Can an empath be an energy vampire?’. We will do that by initially describing an empath and an energy vampire. This will follow up by describing their relationship and why it continues. We will move on to discussing the signs of an energy vampire. Finally, we will discuss how an empath can protect themself against an energy vampire.

Can an empath be an energy vampire?

No. An empath and an energy vampire are two different things. An energy vampire feeds off the energy from others i.e. people feel drained and exhausted in their presence. In contrast, an empath is someone who is able to detect or feel the energy of others and can provide it to them. Although, it is possible that they take other’s energy as well but it is rare that an empath is also an energy vampire. 

Empath

An empath refers to an individual who is sensitive and able to feel the emotional pain of other people.  They have a good awareness of another person’s thoughts and feelings. They can put themselves in another person’s shoes and understand their perspective and worldview. Such people are driven to help and heal others.  Usually,  they hold the other person’s feelings and help them process it together.  

Energy Vampire

An energy vampire is a fictional and religious character who is believed to have the ability to suck or feed off the life force of other living beings. It basically describes people who get energy from other people and leave them empty. i.e. others feel drained in their presence. This energy can be emotional. People with personality disorders are thought to be energy vampires. 

The relationship between an empath and an energy vampire

It is rare that an empath is an energy vampire himself or herself. The main difference between the two is that an energy vampire feeds off other’s psychic energy but an empath feels or detects other people’s energy. Empaths can often provide it to others as well due to their calm and collected nature. 

Often, empaths attract energy vampires. Energy vampires are usually people with cluster B personality disorders which includes people who are dramatic, emotional and have erratic thinking and behavior pattern. These target other people and put them down based on their imperfections to feel good about themselves. They negatively affect other people’s self-esteem and stress them out. This helps them to feel good about themself e.g. narcissistic personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and borderline personality disorder, psychopaths, sociopaths are thought to be a few types of energy vampires.  

As empaths are able to provide energy to others due to their kind and understanding nature, energy vampires often target empaths and take advantage of them.  

Why the relationship continues between an empath and an energy vampre

It is difficult for an empath to discover the fact that they are being used by an energy vampire. This is because they usually strive to see the good in people, try to be non-judgemental and accept them for who they are. They often justify, make excuses, or give explanations to an energy vampire’s inappropriate behavior.  They even try to help them but it rarely happens that such people want to change.  

The vicious cycle persists as an empath continues in a dysfunctional and dyadic relationship like this. However, both people are responsible for the imbalance.  The empath needs to realize that they have to establish boundaries and walk away before they get completely drained by energy vampires. 

How to spot an energy vampire

There are a few telltale signs of an energy vampire. A few of them are stated as follows: 

• An energy vampire needs non-stop attention from other people.
• They have a way with people and can use their charm and skills to lie, cheat, and manipulate others.
• Spending time with them drains one’s energy.
• They do not take responsibility for their actions. Rather, they are skilled at pinning their problems on someone else. 
• They are usually involved in a dramatic situation and expect an empath to solve it.
• They do not feel genuine happiness for someone else. It is hard for them to share the spotlight. 
• They minimize other people’s problems and shift the attention on themselves. It is hard for them to understand another person’s feelings. So, they do not feel guilty about disregarding their problems.  
• They act like they have sacrificed a lot for other people when they have not actually done much
• They use guilt trips or ultimatums to get what they want. This means they force other people in doing what they don’t want to do. 
• They are in co-dependent relationships where it is difficult for them to survive alone.
• They criticize and put other people down.
•  They try to intimidate and bully other people to get what they need. 

How empath can protect themselves against energy vampires

It is essential that people know how to protect themself against energy vampires if they ever encounter them during their life. A few helpful strategies empaths can use against energy vampires are stated as follows:

•  Acknowledge the existence of energy vampires. It is essential that an empath notices the red flags instead of ignoring them and realize that some people are not good for them. Thus, it is important that they protect themself after noticing the signs.
• Keep a gut instinct journal where they can note their instinctive feelings about other people. This can help track the patterns of behavior of other people and changes in them. Doing so can help identify energy vampires.
• Have a clear-headed and grounded friend with whom empaths can reach out and share their feelings if they feel overwhelmed by energy vampires.
• Put themself first before energy vampires. An empath needs to realize that self-care is essential for them and is the first priority before catering to other people’s needs.
• Occasionally, an empath needs to learn to say no especially when they are at their limit. This applies to an empath’s interactions with an energy vampire. They can start by a small step and gradually build it up. The important thing is to stop the spontaneous ‘yes’ approach to everything. 
• Get professional support from a therapist who knows the personality of such energy vampires and can help them figure out a plan to dealing with them. 
• Learn to establish boundaries.
•  Limit your time in dealing with other people’s problems and set aside separate time for hobbies and other self-soothing activities. 
• Set an inventory of relationships and learn to ration time with people who drain your energy.
• Cut such people out of your life if it’s possible. 
• Lower your expectations when dealing with such people especially since such a relationship is usually one-sided.
• Make an excuse and tell them you are tired or don’t feel well. So that they can go talk to someone else.
• Keep your reactions within range. This is because a reaction from an empath will trigger a counter-reaction in an energy vampire and they would resort to blaming and arguing behavior.
• Engage in self-reflective practices like meditation, yoga, walking etc. One can even try relaxation exercises to reduce stress from daily life. 

FAQs: can an empath be an energy vampire?

Conclusion

In this article, we answered the question ‘Can an empath be an energy vampire?’. We found that an empath cannot be an energy vampire. This is because an empath and an energy vampire are two different things. An energy vampire feeds off the energy from others i.e. people feel drained and exhausted in their presence. In contrast, an empath is someone who is able to detect or feel the energy of others and can provide it to them. Although, it is possible that they take other’s energy as well but it is rare that an empath is also an energy vampire

I hope you found this article interesting. If you have any queries or comments, please state them in the comment section 🙂

Citations

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychic_vampire

https://www.thespiritualeclectic.com/2014/06/23/ask-an-empath-empaths-psychic-vampires/

https://www.drnorthrup.com/an-empaths-best-protection-against-energy-vampires/

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/how-spot-deal-energy-vampire-ncna896251

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/energy-vampires#takeaway

https://psychcentral.com/blog/how-to-avoid-being-drained-by-energy-vampires/