Better Health & Living: Article: Vampire Slayers

Issue: December 2007

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Vampire Slayers

by Susan Flagg Godbey

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Although the vampires we describe in this issue don’t bite you in the neck and turn you into the undead, it can feel that way when you’ve been cornered by one. These vampires are people who can become a nuisance, even a serious downer, if you have to deal with them on a regular basis. They strike at the office, at the club, and even under the same roof. And their roaming isn’t restricted to the dark of night. I distinctly remember an incident at the office water fountain a few years back, when a notorious non-stop talker jumped me as I was trying to take something for a headache. After what seemed like an eternity, I needed more than aspirin to relieve the verbal pounding she’d given me. I crept back to my desk, determined to never again go for a drink without a lookout.

It’s a safe bet you know at least some of the energy vampires: the Constant Talker; the Sob Sister; the Naysayer; the One-Upper, and maybe the toughest to deal with, the Unintentional Energy Sapper.

Of course, irritating characters can provide comic relief—after the fact—if you’re not compelled to cover the same ground with them day in and day out. Think of Ned Ryerson, the annoying insurance agent who accosts Bill Murray’s character ad infinitum in Groundhog Day. But in real life, these are people we try to sidestep.

Unfortunately, these vampires are everywhere: they work in the next cubicle, live next door, show up at the same get-togethers—or are married to someone we love. And despite the fact that these folks may well be upstanding citizens on the whole, their MOs can leave us wrung out and exhausted after even the briefest encounters. If you consistently find yourself feeling irritable after seeing certain people, there’s probably a good reason. In the words of one of the doctors we interviewed, “Energy vampires attack our energy through their neediness or negativity.”

In this issue, we offer insights as to why energy vampires act as they do. Just as important, we share tips on how to politely disengage and limit the toll they take. Since I don’t have the wit or audacity of Bill Murray—or his screenwriters—I’m happy for the help.

‘Til next time,

Susan Flagg-Godbey