Have you ever run into someone that always has some sort of dramatic event happening in their lives? The kind of person that picks apart a situation, finds all the flaws and only looks at the negative? Doc calls those people Vampires because they suck all the emotional energy out of you when you are around them. Beware, as they are lurking about all times of the year, not just at Halloween.

So how can you tell if you have a vampire in your life? Wouldn’t it be nice if they were easy to identify because they had long bloody fangs just like in the movies? Well since that’s not the case, this therapy dog will clue you in since I have known a few in my lifetime. First of all, they don’t think any of their problems are their fault. They don’t take responsibility for any of the choices they have made that got them in the pickle they are now in, they are the victim of others. Second, they often diminish your problems and focus on their own using your good nature to make everything about them. Third, they may criticize and “guilt trip” you knowing that shame is a great weapon against those that are compassionate and caring. Finally, they will use your good nature against you, trying to monopolize your time and expecting you to listen to their endless problems, but they are never there when you need them.

So what can you do to get rid of these vampires without driving a stake thorough their heart? If setting boundaries, guarding your emotions or adjusting your expectations doesn’t work, you just may need to cut them out of your life entirely or at least minimize the time you are around them. That may seem cruel or dramatic, but after all you are protecting yourself, and that’s what good mental health is all about.