Some people seem like professionals when it comes to sucking the energy out of every room they enter.
They don’t even realise they’re doing it. In their eyes, they’re just “being themselves,” not realising that they’re being a complete drag. Their behaviour is selfish, ignorant, and completely clueless at times, as evidenced by how often they repeat their actions. Here are just a few of their worst offences.
1. They make every single conversation about their problems.
Every chat somehow ends up being about their problems, no matter what you started talking about. A casual coffee catch-up turns into a deep dive into their latest crisis. Even when someone else shares good news, they somehow find a way to shift the focus back to their struggles. They’re so wrapped up in their own world that they don’t realise other people are leaving the conversation feeling drained.
2. They stir up drama, then want sympathy.
They’re great at creating unnecessary conflict, only to spend ages talking about how tough it is for them. They’ll message everyone they know, retelling the story with themselves as the poor victim, completely blind to the fact they’re the ones who started the mess. The pattern just keeps repeating itself, but they never seem to learn from it.
3. They turn small issues into full-blown crises.
To them, every little setback is an emergency. If a text takes too long to be answered, suddenly it’s a relationship issue. A tiny bit of criticism at work? It’s career disaster mode. Such a constant state of panic wears everyone else out, but they’re too caught up in their overreaction to see how exhausting it is for the people around them.
4. They shoot down any solutions you offer.
They ask for advice, but as soon as you give it, they shoot it down with a “Yes, but…” They’re not really looking for help—they just want someone to listen to their complaints. That cycle of demanding emotional support without actually doing anything to fix their problems is draining for everyone involved.
5. They need constant reassurance.
Every little decision—what to wear, whether to send an email—needs approval from someone else. They can’t make a move without checking in with someone else first, and it gets old fast. Their constant need for validation drains people’s energy, and they don’t realise it actually pushes people away rather than making them feel closer.
6. They create unnecessary urgency.
Everything feels like it’s a crisis. A task that could wait becomes a must-do-right-now situation, and plans that should be flexible become set in stone. The stress they create with their false sense of urgency is tiring for everyone around them, but they’re always confused when people start pushing back against their “emergencies.”
7. They overshare details no one asked for.
They’ll dump intimate personal information into a conversation without thinking about whether it’s the right moment or whether anyone else is comfortable with it. It could be medical stuff, relationship drama—nothing is off-limits. They have no sense of boundaries, and it makes everyone feel awkward and drained, but they don’t realise the weight of what they’re sharing.
8. They turn suffering into a competition.
If someone mentions being tired or stressed, they’ll go into overdrive about how their situation is way worse. It’s like they need to top every struggle with one of their own. Their constant one-upmanship invalidates people’s feelings and makes everything about their struggles, demanding attention and sympathy that doesn’t really belong to them.
9. They have selective memory.
They’ll conveniently forget all the nice things people have done for them but hold onto every tiny wrong or slight that’s ever happened. They’ve got a mental list of every favour they’ve ever given, but can’t seem to remember any of the support they’ve received. It’s exhausting for other people to constantly remind them of the times they’ve helped, especially when they’re the ones keeping score.
10. They create drama from nothing.
If someone says something that could easily be misunderstood, they’ll blow it up into a huge issue. A missed invite becomes a personal slight, and a delayed text response is seen as a relationship crisis. They twist small things into big problems and get everyone caught up in their web of misinterpretation.
11. They refuse to respect people’s time.
They’ll call or message at all hours, expecting an immediate response. They’ll reach out on weekend mornings or late at night, treating their issues as though they’re urgent, even when they’re not. If you try to set boundaries, they act hurt, not realising that their timing is messing with everyone else’s routine.
12. They demand emotional labour without giving anything back.
They’ll unload hours of their struggles on you, only to disappear when you need support. They’ve got no problem taking all the emotional energy you’ve got but seem to disappear when it’s time to return the favour. That one-way emotional street is exhausting, but they’re completely unaware of the imbalance they’re creating.
13. They set impossible expectations.
They expect perfection from everyone and everything around them, but when reality doesn’t meet their inflated standards, they’re left disappointed. What’s worse, they see any kind of boundary or limitation as a personal betrayal. This constant dissatisfaction is draining for those trying to keep up with their impossible demands.
14. They avoid any real personal growth.
They’ll complain about the same issues over and over but won’t consider changing anything about their own behaviour. They’ll point fingers at everyone else but resist looking in the mirror and recognising that maybe they need to make some changes themselves. It’s like they’re stuck in a loop of frustration, and they won’t break free from it until they realise they’re the ones who need to adapt.
