Are self-identified vampires suffering from widespread stereotyping and therefore afraid to disclose their true nature to doctors? Is vampire acceptance needed in a society quick to discriminate against them?

And are they subject to the “same potential for microaggressions and oppression from their workers as those who occupy other positions of minority status”?

Those are some of the questions addressed in a new study from the latest issue of Critical Social Work, “an interdisciplinary journal dedicated to social justice” published by the University of Windsor.

It finds that thousands worldwide self-identify as vampires and feel they are born with the condition in a way that is like sexual orientation.

The research is real, not a parody or prank, as some social media users have wondered this morning after Reuters picked up the story without linking back to it. But we have located it.

“Do we Always Practice What we Preach? Real Vampires’ Fears of Coming out of the Coffin to Social Workers and Helping Professionals” almost seems to invite ridicule, however, with language like “coming out of the coffin”.

The study, by DJ Williams and Emily Prior in a collaboration between Idaho State University, College of the Canyons and the Center for Positive Sexuality, finds that “nobody knows an exact number, but there are many people worldwide who self-identify as vampires. Despite the use of the word ‘vampire,’ people with such alternative identities do not seem to be psychologically and socially unstable. Even still, it is not surprising that vampires prefer to keep these alternative identities private (i.e., stay ‘in the coffin’) due to fears of being misunderstood and discriminated against.”

Do real vampires feed on blood? It’s answered here:

Many real vampires report feeding on psychic or pranic energy, and pranic energy is believed to be strongly connected to nature, generally, and often breathing, specifically (Belanger, 2004). Some vampires, called “sanguinarians,” seem to prefer feeding by consuming small amounts of human blood (or animal blood), which can be easily obtained, among other ways, by making a tiny incision (i.e., with a razor or scalpel) on the upper part of the donor’s chest and is then licked or sucked by the vampire. “Hybrid” vampires report feeding from more than one form (i.e., psychically or from blood). It is generally expected within the community that vampires should act ethically and responsibly in feeding practices. Unlike lifestyle vampires, real vampires believe that they do not choose their vampiric condition; they are born with it, somewhat akin to sexual orientation (Laycock, 2010). Thus, real vampirism should be approached as an alternative identity, rather than as an institution (Laycock, 2010). Some real vampires report wishing that they did not have a vampiric condition, stating that their lives would be easier without it (Laycock, 2010). For some, vampire community events provide an important source of social support (Browning, in press).

The bottom line: self-identified vampires need psychotherapy just like anyone else and this study was apparently needed to determine a course of treatment.

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