Recently I had read an article basically stating that "ghosting" is a form of emotional abuse.

To a certain extent, I can agree with this statement.

I personally wouldn't call it "abuse," but I know from personal experience how painful and damaging it can be to have someone who once had your soul just start ignoring you out of nowhere.

It can leave the person on the receiving end pondering their actions and thinking, "Where did it all go wrong? Was it something I said?"

However, as someone who has been both the "ghostee" and the "ghoster," I can safely say that sometimes ghosting others is the only way to handle the situation.

For example, I made friends with someone in high school that I should not have been friends with.

This person was the definition of toxic, and it got to the point where I could not take it anymore. For almost two years, I was controlled, gaslighted, manipulated, talked down to, abused, etc.

Once I decided to try (and ultimately fail) to call it quits, the manipulation and gaslighting got worse.

I decided to text them and explain to them why I could no longer have them in my life.

After multiple rumors being spread about me and numerous middle fingers thrown my way as we passed each other in the hallway, they somehow managed to worm themselves back into my life, claiming that they had changed.

They had not changed.

Fast forward to my last year in high school. They had already graduated, but they remained at home with their family, which was two blocks away from my house.

Therefore, ignoring them was still nearly impossible.

After reaching my breaking point for the second time, I decided that my first attempt at closure was not going to work.

I decided that ignoring them completely was the way to go.

For months, the text messages did not stop. They saw that I had read the messages; they wanted to get my attention.

There were plenty of times where I wanted to respond, but I knew that's what they wanted from me. Any kind of response was a positive response to them.

I held my ground as long as I could, but then the messages became manipulative and threatening once more.

For the sake of my own sanity (which I barely had left), I had to block their number.

Once I did that, I felt so free! I could finally breathe again!

I could finally focus on my healthy friendships rather than dwelling on a friendship that was the equivalent of drinking poison.

You are allowed to remove people from your life. You are allowed to cut people off with no explanation.

Ghosting isn't always a bad thing. Yes, it can hurt like Hades when you're the receiver, but think about what's going on with the person on the other end.

Sometimes you just have to end it with people. You don't owe anyone an explanation.