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Guardian

Guardian

‘Our conversations were always about her!’ How to recognise – and escape – an emotional vampire

Guardian
Summary
Nutrition label

61% Informative

Some people who have an excessive need for attention and validation are known as emotional vampires’ They are often overwhelmingly negative, or display a victim mentality.

They are defined by their inability to empathise, leading them to vent their frustrations without thinking how it might affect or be received by the other person.

In functional friendships, there is an underlying sense of give and take.

Emotional vampires might also enter into our lives in the form of co-workers or co-parents.

Schoolfriends are another common culprit, as people naturally grow apart over time, but feel reluctant to cut longstanding ties.

It’s possible to maintain the relationship and still take steps to protect ourselves.

The challenges of vampire friendships may feel particularly heightened and unexpected because the nuclear family has become less dominant as the organising structure of our society.

The popular description of friends as “the family you choose” can set up unrealistic expectations and belie the difficulty of navigating them, says Van Hooff .

VR Score

59

Informative language

55

Neutral language

63

Article tone

informal

Language

English

Language complexity

42

Offensive language

not offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

long-living

External references

no external sources

Source diversity

no sources

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