Emotional Vampires: Dealing With People Who Drain You Dry (Paperback)

by Albert Bernstein (Author) "Vampires stalk you, even as we speak..." (more)
Key Phrases: professional therapeutic approaches, attempting psychotherapy, more true answers, Emotional Vampires, Narcissistic Legends, Narcissistic Superstars (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Clinical psychologist and business consultant Albert Bernstein's Emotional Vampires: Dealing with People Who Drain You Dry is a humorous yet serious look at our interactions with people who seem to sap our energy. Through anecdotes, Bernstein makes the various categories of vampires distinctive and recognizable (Anti-Social, Histrionic, Narcissistic, Obssessive-Compulsive and Paranoid) and offers practical guidance for how readers can deal with them effectively (Understanding Emotional Vampires' immaturity is your ultimate weapon). --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

"Bernstein provides a field guide to the various types of Emotional Vampires and advises readers how to protect themselves from being victims of these predatory personalities."­­Boston Globe

From bestselling author Albert J. Bernstein

The author of Dinosaur Brains offers protection from people who seek to destroy the emotional and psychological well-being of others. Like the fabled demons, these vampires:

• Think their needs are more important than yours
• Believe "the rules" apply only to other people
• Use their tempers in the same way terrorists use bombs

Emotional Vampires tells readers how to spot a "vampire" in their lives, which defense strategies to employ to prevent one from striking, and what to do if and when they find themselves under attack.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (March 22, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071381678
• ISBN-13: 978-0071381673
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,467 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

256 of 267 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taking the Bite out of Vampires, November 24, 2000

By	joyce howell (virginia beach, va United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Emotional Vampires: Dealing With People Who Drain You Dry (Hardcover)

Emotional Vampires teaches you how to protect yourself from people who emotionally and materially drain you for their own gain and at your expense. These "vampires" prey on colleagues, friends, and family. They are especially dangerous because their self-absorption prevents them from seeing that they are harming others, and even makes them think they are helping others. "Vampires" are especially gifted at finding the most vulnerable victims. With Dr. Bernstein's help, these vampires will see you as no easy prey and move on to others. You recognize Emotional Vampires by the emotional aftermath: they "take a lot out of you," they leave you feeling "drained," they "pushed your buttons," they are "high maintenance," etc. Dr. Bernstein is right on the money with "vampire bite" as a metaphorical diagnosis for the real harm these types cause, but beware: the fangs seldom show, and emotional vampires can seem as harmless and ineffectual as Aunt Bea, or as affable as Will Rogers. Each chapter is a recognizance of different "vampire" personality types. I realized I was particularly vulnerable to the "histrionics" who thrive on drama for its own sake. I used Bernstein's techniques on a certain "histrionic" vampire in my life, and now I'm thankfully out of her perpetual soap opera. I urge everybody to buy this book. It's a funny and easy read, but the subject is serious and the insights ring deeply true. Once you have read it you will have the power to protect yourself from a lot of hard times and wasted hours.

147 of 155 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Grand Master of Disorder Speaks., April 22, 2004

By	Bernard Chapin "Ora Et Labora!" (CHICAGO! USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Gee, I work with two vampire personalities but I have to tell you that this book by Bernstein has to be, by far, the finest non-technical description of personality disorders that I've ever encountered. It's for both the layman and the psychologist and, best of all, it's self-help. I can't say enough about it. It reads like deja vu for anyone who has ever suffered the attentions of self-promoting, self-worshipping, narcissistic psychopaths. His advice is sound but they're so crazy you can't always use it--yet you will feel better after reading his work.

66 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, April 13, 2005

By	Zoom (Omaha) - See all my reviews

I couldn't put this book down, it was so engaging. I just read it two times in a row. It tells you all about personality disorders in a very humorous, user-friendly way. I learned alot in a very short period of time - - about myself and the people I interact with.

This is not "one size fits all" advice. He suggests different strokes for different folks. He also shows how there's a little vampire in each of us.