Number 7: They always one-up you.
Energy vampires cannot see someone succeed if they aren’t succeeding with them. This is a classic narcissistic behavior trait, but it is always present in energy vampires. If someone near and dear to them gets a promotion, an award, or even a compliment, an energy vampire will make it a point to make sure that they have the attention on them.
For example, if someone close to the vampire gets a promotion, the energy vampire would make it a point to show how much of a better employee the vampire is than the person obtaining the promotion. If the innocent person gets a compliment, the vampire will immediately tell them how they’re not as pretty or handsome as they are. They won’t let anyone near them have any kind of recognition for anything they do unless they’re attached to it. They have to be at the center of attention at all times, and if they aren’t, they will do whatever they can to step on the happy person’s big moment.
Number 6: They diminish your problems and play up their own.
In the same nature of always one-upping people’s joy and accomplishments, these vampires also cannot let anyone else have bigger problems than they do. People can get attention from either the good or the bad. Promotions get attention the same way a death in the family does. News is news, no matter what. Due to that fact, a vampire will absolutely do whatever they can to ensure that the attention remains on them. If the person they are feeding off of is having trouble with their boss, the vampire’s boss was much worse. If the other person is struggling with a relationship, the vampire is so sad being single (or their relationship is somehow worse).
No matter what it is, the vampire has almost certainly had it worse. That’s how they work. This is also considered gaslighting. They can tell you that the problems they have are much worse than anyone else’s, making them feel bad for feeling the way they feel. This gaslighting can make people think they’re crazy, overly emotional, or worse. Instead of acknowledging their own pain, fear, or whatever nasty emotion they are feeling, the energy vampire finds a way to make them feel bad for feeling emotions. (Which is totally normal and healthy.
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