Walking Puppet
I've been feeling terrible for several years now, and these states are worsening. I remember a time when I was happy and full of energy. 🌟 Today, I'm a walking puppet. 🤖
I have wonderful children, a husband who loves me, and as a family, we experience the usual worries and joys, helping each other. 👨👩👧👦 So the problem must be with me. Lately, this thought often crosses my mind. Maybe it's true, but it doesn't help me at all. I still don't know the cause. I just know that relationships with some people are now exhausting me. Contact with them makes my condition even worse. I don't understand it. I find no joy in life. Everything drains me. 😪

Terrifying Yet Liberating
I'm walking around the apartment when suddenly an unfamiliar book catches my eye from the bookshelf. I remember buying it long ago on a friend's recommendation, but out of fear, I had hidden it among other books. 📚
I flip through it. It offers an explanation that I'm simultaneously resisting and attracted to. Could I be a victim of someone's manipulation? It's a terrifying yet liberating thought. I feel like a patient finally receiving the correct diagnosis.
Wounded Soul
The information I'm learning opens up childhood wounds. 💔 It shows me my childhood from a different perspective - a soul tossed about by injustices, unrealistic demands, and unfairness, scarred by the indifference of those closest to me. 😢
It's clear now. Even back then, I was a victim. I had to solve adults' problems. I was instilled with the belief that I must always be available, regardless of my own feelings. I'm slowly realizing what needs to change in my life, but... 🤔
Sadness. Anger. Relief
My first thought was that knowing the truth would make me handle it. But it's not that simple. I'm tossed about by emotions. 🌪️ Sadness from succumbing to manipulators since childhood, anger at myself for allowing it. At the same time, I know that as a child, I couldn't have influenced the situation.
My husband supports me. He shows me what's at the end of the road. 🌅 A freedom that's incomparable. No longer under the influence of those who drain my life.
First Victorious Battles
I'm escaping from my "vampires," but it's not a literal escape. My liberation materializes as I learn to use counter-manipulation methods. It throws them off balance - they're not used to it. I remind myself that I have the right to say NO and remain true to myself. 💪
I'm standing close to "my" vampire, yet I'm already far from him. His actions don't affect me; I don't let him disturb my peace. I don't perceive biting remarks, humiliation, or the feeling that I must comply. 🛡️ I know that any mask he wears isn't real, even if it's full of "sincere" interest.
Leaving the Prison
Others notice my detachment from manipulators. Because the manipulators acted under the guise of help, some people see me in a bad light. But I'm prepared for this too. It doesn't faze me. This is my life.
I can say no, and I no longer see the manipulator as superior. 🚫 His behavior is his problem, not mine. I don't blame myself. It's as if I've walked out of prison. I perceive the world and relationships differently, in colors. 🌈 The anger towards manipulators fades. I feel more sorry for them now. 😔
Set Out on Your Own Journey to Freedom
Or at least learn what systematic manipulation is and how to defend against it. No matter what mask a manipulator wears in your life, don't give them a chance to drain you of energy that you can invest in healthy relationships and use for other meaningful activities. Embark on a journey that ends with a free life. This is what my husband's and my project "No to Manipulation" and the resulting book "Don't Feed Your Vampires" is all about. 🦋
We wrote it as more than just a transcript of our online video course "School of the Art of Counter-manipulation". That was published in 2020, and since then, thanks to our students, we've gathered many more experiences, which we've incorporated especially into the fourth and final part of the book.
What is our book about?
They are modern-day vampires. But what will surprise you - they're not actually modern at all. They have been, are, and always will be here with us. And they're so powerful that they've even given rise to literary and later cinematic vampires. Those are merely their image, sucking literal blood. A perfect symbol. The eternal, real vampires also suck tirelessly. But their "blood" is something else, something much more precious. Something they can live on with impunity for their entire lives, often without their victim even noticing. 🧛♂️
What do you need to know to stop feeding them while withering away yourself? How to avoid becoming their victim? If you already are one, what must you do to free yourself from the labyrinth in which the vampire has imprisoned you? And how to prevent yourself from ever becoming one of them? Our book is about all of this. It has 4 parts and a little over 400 pages.
Who are we?
We have been married for 30 years and have four children together. We dedicate this book primarily to them, so that their path through life might be less thorny than ours. 👨👩👧👦
Why do we need you?
Self-publishing a book with a print run of 2,000 copies will cost us 120,000 CZK (Czech Crowns). We'll also need some funds for subsequent distribution. Let's work together to send this carefully crafted guide to toxic and uncertain relationships out into the world. Take a look at our rewards and decide which form of support resonates with you. 🤝
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