A close friend or family member has been driving you crazy. You finally hit your breaking point and cut them out of your life. No explanation. No drama. Just dead silence.

That’s “ghosting.”

The urge to break ties is understandable. Life’s too short to deal with annoying people.

Right?

There are definitely times when cutting people from our lives is essential — especially if they’re physically abusive. However, when “ghosting” is used for nonthreatening offenses, we rob the other person of their shot at redemption and personal growth.

In these circumstances, an open and honest dialogue is the best solution.

Confronting anyone about their shortcomings is never fun. If someone’s oblivious about their faults, they’ll probably dismiss your concerns; while others might become defensive or hostile. But there are some who’ll value your feelings and try to turn things around.

The latter are the people who deserve a second chance. Also, if your candor gets a negative response, you can walk away knowing you tried your best to make things right. And who knows, in your absence, your parting words might finally sink in.

Cutting people out of your life without an explanation is passive-aggressive. If you find someone annoying, you’re partly to blame if you haven’t set proper boundaries. Ghosting in these situations is cruel — as you’ll cause considerable confusion and pain in the wake of your departure.

Karmically, you’re guaranteed to repeat this dynamic when the next unsavoury character navigates into your life (there are lots out there!). This pattern will continue until you finally learn to assert yourself.

So it’s essential to break this cycle.  Next time you feel the urge to hit the “eject button,” find your voice and speak up! No one deserves to be left in the dark — even the folks who’ve been driving you crazy.

It’s worth saying — the people who annoy us the most are often the people who care the most. They get under our skin because they’re overly protective, and/or stick their nose in the wrong places out of concern. Before you toss these well-meaning but overbearing souls aside, have an earnest heart-to-heart and assert some much-needed boundaries.

If your loved one won’t hear you, try setting some boundaries for yourself. This could mean disengaging in “hot button” discussions, or cutting back on the  frequency of your visits. Walking away should be a last resort. We might live in a disposable culture, but people should never be treated like Kleenex.

• Written by Psychic Ralph