PREFACE (Partial email
response)
I think almost anyone claiming to be a vampire is addicted to blood in some
way. I am called a vampire, yet I seldom if ever call myself that, as I don't
like the term much. I consider vampirism either 1.) a learned immunity to
the vomitive effects of blood, or 2.) a predisposition to being immune to
the intake of blood. Neither require an addiction; neither are considered
a medical condition except as an oddity, yet you will see people claiming
to be vamps speaking of "the hunger", which is an addiction -- and
like any addiction, has withdrawal effects. In all actuality, I can't say
vamps exist or don't exist. I view it as a subculture. Like any subculture,
it has faction groups; like any subculture, it claims to be better than the
"mundane humans". So I am left in a very undecided state here...
Do they exist? Do they not exist? The reality is that more things exist than
we are willing to admit. Maybe belief makes someone a vamp, just as belief
makes someone Christian.
I. INTRO-TYPE THINGY
Sanguinarius says I have a death wish, as I don't hide behind some magical
veil o' secrecy (that seldom works). I also don't subscribe to the usual "accepted"
views of vampirism. Many consider me a vamp, and yes, like many "vamps"
I have felt "the hunger" or whatever it is being referred to as
this week. Unlike most vamps, I beat it.
So bear with me here. My views are radical in the sense that most vamps don't
hold them, so approach this article assuming that 1.) vampirism of any sort
is not a real disease, condition, etc., and 2.) the hurting, feeling weak,
sick, etc., are all symptoms of almost any withdrawal from a substance.
II. BLOOD: RUST LUST?
I started out as a normal child (you know...blowing up ants with m-80's;
blowing up myself with slightly larger home-made versions), except I had/have
a hypersensitivity to sunlight, was addicted to blood, and have what would
be considered unnatural strength and speed for my frame.
At the time, I was looking for any explanation for the combo of traits. Vampyrism
fit.
The bad news is this: My hypersensitivity to light is because I have blue-grey
eyes, and can see into the lower infrared; my unnatural strength and speed
for my frame is because I swordfight, and I am wiry -- It isn't unnatural
when compared to other swordfighters that have to keep moving to avoid a blow,
and work out so many muscle groups it's pathetic. There's the difference between
well-toned, and bulked up.
This still leaves us with the blood portion. But now that we've removed the
other traits from the realm of the "super"-natural, let's do the
same with the blood portion.
Ever since I was a child, I have had a bit of a fascination with blood. Having
the speed of a swordfighter, and the evasiveness that goes with it, I turned
to hunting. I never kill an animal, as the endorphin and adrenaline rush you
get trying to subdue something for a tasty bit of liquid far outweighs the
*cringe* satisfaction some people get by killing an animal. I also have a
few donors, so I am never really lacking if I want some.
This brings me to the next point. Even with the hunting and donors, I haven't
fed in a good many months.
III. ADDICTION?
Now while it is true that I can ingest an amount of blood that would make
a normal person blow chunks everywhere (and give the enterprising person a
chance to sell said blood-chunk covered items as modern art), I really had
one major flaw... it governed me. Anyone that knows me knows that I don't
like anything having control over me, especially something I see as beatable.
So... here's how to beat the addiction and, depending on your point of view,
become one of those cool "l33t vamps" you only hear about, or become
just an ordinary (or extraordinary, depending on outlook) individual, that
no longer hides behind a blood addiction and claims it makes them better than
the herd they feed from.
First, realize it's an addiction, and view it as such.
Second, the next time you have an overwhelming urge to feed, or feel you
"need" blood, have a glass of OJ (no, not the murderer -- who knows
where he's been?), and kick back. Meditate if it helps kill the feelings.
What you want to do here is steadily space your feeding further apart than
usual.
Third, once you have learned to kill the feelings to a point that you can
deal with no blood for a week (for those who are hard-core daily feeders),
or a month (for those who are the usual once-a-week feeders), lengthen it
out even more. Turn the one week into one month, turn the one month into two
months.
Fourth, after a month or three doing the above steps, you'll realize that
you really don't want to stop, and at that moment you will understand just
how much of an addiction it is. So this brings us to the 5th step.
Fifth, now that realization has forced you to admit it's an addiction, you
are almost free from it. -- And likewise, are free to feed whenever you want
to, whether it be like me (every few months at most), or like you previously
had fed, with no fear of the addiction taking over.
IIII. AFTERMATH
There are withdrawal symptoms, which is why I recommend meditation. Mind
over matter works wonders, especially when dealing with addiction/withdrawal
aftermath. Depending on how addicted you are, you can usually expect to have
the shakes, stomach pains, a general feeling of being ill, maybe even a fever
and profuse sweating in some cases.
The other aftermath is that you're vampy friends may view you as a traitor
or crackpot for having the audacity to question what you are. But, on the
plus side, -- always remember, -- if they claim to be vamps, and claim to
have open minds, you can laugh when they bicker about you beating the habit,
-- as all the bickering has proven is that they aren't as open-minded as they
believed when it is their way of life that comes under scrutiny.
This article is presented as part of an ongoing effort to present other views outside of, as well as within, the online vampire community. Those of us who consider ourselves vampiric don't always look at things from the same viewpoint due to our life experiences. As such, the views and opinions contained in this article are entirely those of the author(s), and may not necessarily be shared by SphynxCatVP. The webmaster is not under obligation to update or otherwise keep current the contents of this article. Most importantly, only you can decide for yourself whether this article or any of the author(s) other views are useful or applicable to you - you are responsible for using your own reasoning and judgement, so judge wisely.
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