My approach to transforming fear has two stages. First, take stock of what makes you afraid and distinguish irrational fears from legitimate intuitions. Second, take appropriate steps to heed protective fears and transform the others with courage. At times you may foresee real danger, but more frequently unproductive fears clobber you.

Transcript of audio podcast interview by Douglas Eby with Judith Orloff M.D. about her new book "Emotional Freedom."She says there are better ways than medications to manage anxiety: "Medication alters your neurochemicals, but I believe that we can do that naturally with our own techniques and our own meditation practices."

"Picture yourself in a traffic jam but feeling utterly calm. Or not letting your supervisor’s bad mood frustrate you. Imagine being peaceful instead of worrying. Or enjoying nurturing relationships and a warm sense of belonging in the place of loneliness. This is what it feels like when you’ve achieved emotional freedom."

Since emotions such as fear, anger, and frustration are energies, you can potentially “catch” them from people without realizing it. If you tend to be an emotional sponge, it’s vital to know how to avoid taking on an individual’s negative emotions or the free-floating kind in crowds.

We’ve all got a smidgeon of vampire in us, especially when we’re stressed. So, cut yourself a break. It’s admirable to admit, “I think I’m emotionally draining people. What can I do?” Can’t be free without such honesty. Then you can change.

“Dr. Orloff’s book takes you on a wondrous journey through the mysteries of energy. A must-read for anyone who’s rushed, stressed, or stopped by fear.” —Deepak Chopra  //  “A brilliant, intriguing, and extremely practical book . . . Dr. Orloff is a true visionary.” —Caroline Myss, Ph.D.

Energy vampires are people who suck our energy dry. Everyone can benefit from skills on how to cope with them. You can especially benefit if you are an "intuitive empath" who absorbs the pain and negativity of others into your body, and become exhausted by it.

As a psychiatrist who specializes in intuition, I know that a very powerful life lesson is learning how to attract positive relationships and situations toward us. Our relationships aren't random. We must begin to use our intuition to actively draw what's positive our way, a people skill most of our parents didn't know or teach us.

Fear is the biggest energy thief there is. A master seducer and gigantic source of negative energy, fear shamelessly robs of us of everything good and powerful, preys on our vulnerabilities. Many people become mesmerized for a lifetime, letting negative attitudes seize control. Enough! Though some fears are intuitively protective but we can't let the irrational ones bamboozle us.

"When I was a child, my family did not encourage me to develop my psychic abilities," Dr. Orloff notes. "In fact, I was discouraged. But then as a teenager, I met Dr. Thelma Moss at UCLA and she invited me to come work as a psychic and a research assistant in her lab.  "So that's when I really had the first validation of my abilities. I had a dream when I was working with her that told me to get an M.D., to go to medical school so I would have the credentials to help legitimize the psychic world."