There’s still so much stigma around suicide which leads to a lot of misconceptions around it. Suicidal thoughts involve a person thinking about death. There are two kinds of suicidal ideation, passive and active. With passive suicidal ideation, you wish you were dead or that you could die but you formulate no plans to that end. Active suicidal ideation is not just thinking about or wishing you were dead but having the intent to die by suicide and making plans.
Passive suicidal ideation
A person with passive suicidal ideation may have fantasies like dying in their sleep or having a fatal accident. The word passive may make it appear harmless, but it’s not. The line between active and passive ideation is blurry and the transition can happen slowly or suddenly. For this reason, it should not be taken lightly.
Passive suicidal ideation is under-researched likely because of the seriousness attributed to active ideation. For this reason, it’s unknown how common it is for people to desire death or wish they were dead without taking any steps to make it happen.
Causes and risk factors for suicidal ideation
Suicidal thoughts often strike when you’re felling hopeless and out of control of your life… which are emotions everyone eventually deals with. The feelings can be caused by circumstances like:
- Relationship problems
- Financial difficulties
- Health issues
- Trauma
- Substance use
- Work issues
- A crisis of some sort
- Mental health disorders like depression, bipolar, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or anxiety
Other risk factors include:
- Previous suicide attempt
- Having a mental health disorder
- Being lonely and isolated, feeling hopeless
- Being queer (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender)
- Chronic illness like cancer, diabetes or other terminal disease
- Chronic pain
- Family history of suicide
- Drug and alcohol use disorder
- Living in a rural area
- Not being married
- Access to firearms
Prevention, treatment, and management
The treatment plan is a factor in the severity of your condition and whether you’re in crisis. Treatment plans include a combination of:
- Psychotherapy or talk therapy
- Family therapy and education where your loved ones are given a better understanding of what you’re going through
- Lifestyle changes including managing stress, improving sleep, eating and exercise habits, making time for hobbies and finding support
- Substance use disorder treatment
- Medication
Prevention of suicidal ideation
One way to prevent and manage suicidal ideation is to understand and keep track of your triggers to better avoid getting triggered. Some ways to do that include:
- When you’re feeling hopeless and in the throes of it, remember that feelings are temporary
- Keep track of situations you find stressful and how you handle them
- Keep a journal to help you understand and manage your feelings
- Find ways to relieve stress, such as talking with a friend
- Get active, such as volunteering or engaging in a fun project
- Build and find a community of support
- Seek help at the first signs of depression
- Call a helpline or rescue line if you’re having thoughts of suicide
Remember you’re not weird, its normal, everyday people go through this. Find strategies that work for you and keep fighting.
Check out
Mental Health: Myths About Suicide
Dealing With The Loss Of A Loved One By Suicide
Parenting: How To Explain Suicide To Children
Mental Health: What To Do When Therapy Isn’t Working For You
Mental Health: Why We Need To Decriminalize Suicide Attempts In Kenya
