There are several types of Energy Vampires. Here are specifics on the most prevalent energy vampires. All psychic energy vampires are energy vampires but the converse isn't true.
6. The Drama Queen or King
They thrive on creating problems and exhausting, overcomplicated dramas due to dark underlying emptiness in their lives.
They love seeking out crises because it gives them a reason to feel victimized...
Thus feel special and be in need for love...
With an exaggerated sense of self-importance and avoidance from life’s real issues, different from the self-entitled jerk.
The negative emotions that they feed off are addictive
so they constantly are trying to create ever-increasing need for them.
Hint: Don't ever ask them how they are doing!
As they can't draw energy from tranquility, to protected yourself
you stay calm, take a few deep breaths, refuse to take sides or be involved. Pay attention to the patterns in their behavior and the triggers that make you want to get involved or get sucked into complying as it seems easiest or you'vr been falsely shared into it.
Set kind, but firm limits. Refuse to indulge in banter; they're trying to negotiate or manipulate you. Create distance and cut them out of your life if possible.
7. The Would-Be Perfectionist
Skeptical, annoying wannabe perfectionist, undermines or questions every activity or person. Basically expects you to justify why you did/didn't just say or do whatever it was and to justify your very existence, seeks to critique your every step mid-stride and to micromanage you.
To Protect Yourself ...don't try to prove them the contrary. It is potentially a losing battle because they think are always right, even if historically they get everything just wrong.
8. The Judgemental Vampire
They love to pick on other people. They prey on your perceived insecurities to bolster their egos by making you feel small, pathetic or ashamed. The way they treat others is merely a reflection of how they treat themselves due to their severely low self-worth.
To protect yourself, remember that true self-worth must come from within. Refuse to take personally what's being said, refuse to indulge them or to banter with them as it encourages them and then it just escalates when you go on defensive. Tgey see it as a win, so you'll lose. Keep a balanced head, and try being sweet to them. (That really throws them off balance!) Reduce, or cut off, contact, if possible.
9. The Rageaholic
They dump their anger on you and spread toxic energy everywhere in their surrounding area. To protect yourself, avoid them, if possible.
10. The Innocent
They aren't malicious. They are the helpless types of people who may genuinely need help, much like a child or a good friend you want to help but who come to rely on you too much. It’s good that you help those you care about but it’s more important that you encourage them to be self-sufficient. Playing the role of the constant “rock” or support will eventually erode away your energy with little or no energy to support yourself.
To Protect Yourself...
Love yourself. Gently remind them that you need your own time to yourself and to do other things. Encourage them to develop their own inner strength, fortitude and resilience.
If you’re a highly empathetic and caring person, it’s possible that you actively attract energy vampires into your life. If you’re a highly compassionate person who doesn’t know how to set boundaries it very likely that you’re surrounded by energy vampires right now.
They are attracted to you because they unconsciously desire to resolve a deeper problem within their psyches by sharing or spreading the pain and they perceive YOU as their solution to all that.