Suicide Prevention Awareness Month: What is Passive Suicidal Ideation?
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. While suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in America, it’s the second leading cause for quarterlifers (ages 25-34). In honor of the upcoming World Suicide Prevention Day, we’ll look at both active and passive suicidal ideation. How do these two differ and how may they impact your life? Let’s get started.
What is active suicidal ideation?
Active suicidal ideation occurs when you have thoughts of suicide or self-harm and have developed a plan to carry it out. If you or someone you know has active suicidal ideation, you should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately as this is a medical emergency.
What is passive suicidal ideation?
Passive suicidal ideation involves a desire to die, but it doesn’t include intent or a plan for how to carry out the death. Suicidal ideation and suicidal thoughts are a lot more common than is reported. These types of thoughts are often accompanied by other forms of mental health issues like depression or bipolar disorder. However, this isn’t always the case. Some people will experience passive suicidal ideation and not even realize it. With that, however, it’s important to name and seek help as it’s a mental burden to handle all on your own. Passive suicidal ideation can also put you at greater risk of injury and death because it may lead you to be careless about your safety. Some ways it could show up without your even realizing it include:
- Driving while distracted
- Not looking both ways before crossing the street
- Standing too close to the edge of a metro platform
For some, passive suicidal ideation can be confusing. It sometimes involves simply thinking about one’s own death as a coping mechanism for the depression or emotional pain they’re experiencing. They may not be actively seeking out death, but when they close their eyes at night, they may desire to disappear or escape life. This is often troubling because those in these situations aren’t sure how to describe their thoughts or feelings or even when to seek help. As a result, they’ll downplay the severity of what they’re experiencing, and they may even fret about the stigma they may face when they do reach out for assistance.
If you’re experiencing passive suicidal ideation, you may hesitate to reach out to a loved one or seek counseling. You may think it’s “just a feeling” or that you aren’t in any immediate physical danger. However, just like active suicidal ideation, passive thoughts about suicide can be risky. They can also turn into active suicidal ideation if an upsetting event occurs. Through therapeutic support, people can learn how to cope with chronic thoughts of suicide and move toward more balanced and hopeful views of life.
Final thoughts
Looking for support? The Quarterlife Center is dedicated to helping adults in their 20s and 30s build the life they want. Regardless of what type of support and counseling you need, we’re here to help you enrich your life and seek personal growth. Visit us here to learn more.
If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment or you’d like more information, please call us at 1-844-QLC-TALK (1-844-752-8255) or email us here.
