Did you know there are two kinds of suicidal ideation? While both versions serve as an alarming reminder to get help, each requires a different level of concern. Knowing the difference between active vs. passive suicidal ideation helps you know how much at-risk someone is of actually ending their life.
But first things first: if you or someone you love is in the middle of a crisis, please stop reading right now and call emergency services (911 or 988 if you’re in the U.S., and if you’re not, here is a list of helplines).
To teach you more about suicidal ideation, this article will address the following question:
- What is suicidal ideation?
- What causes suicidal ideation?
- What are the differences between active and passive suicidal ideation?
- What are the warning signs and when should you get help?
What Is Suicidal Ideation?
You’ve probably heard of someone being suicidal, but you may not know what counts as suicidal ideation and what doesn’t.
Put simply, suicidal ideation involves thinking about killing oneself, regardless of whether the person plans to do it. So, a person can experience suicidal ideation without wanting or planning to act on it. So, while suicidal ideation always indicates someone should get professional help, they’re not always in immediate danger.
What Causes Suicidal Ideation?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a single cause of suicidal ideation. Instead, people experience it for a wide variety of mental health reasons.
Most often, people who experience these thoughts feel like their life circumstances prove too overwhelming to bear. Some go through it after a period of extreme grief, anxiety, or depression.
Often, those with mental health disorders find themselves at an increased risk for suicidal ideations. After all, these conditions make it more difficult for people to live their day-to-day lives. So, getting ongoing support serves as the best preventive measure for those who want to keep these thoughts at bay.
In some cases, people also come from families with a history of mental health concerns. These individuals might have a genetic predisposition for suicidality.
What Are the Differences Between Active vs. Passive Suicidal Ideation?
Passive Suicidal Ideation
This type of suicidal ideation is the less severe of the two, so let’s start by defining it. When someone experiences passive suicidal ideation, they think of taking their own life but don’t have a plan to act on it. So, this person might still feel their life is too overwhelming, but they aren’t going to take their life immediately.
Here are some examples of passive suicidal ideation:
- I wish I could just go to bed and not wake up.
- I wish I could just disappear.
- I wish I didn’t have to face the future.
- I feel hopeless and wish I were dead.
Treating Passive Suicidal Ideation
In most cases, the best course of treatment for passive suicidal ideation involves seeking outpatient help. Those who experience this type of suicidal thought pattern should look for a licensed counselor. If you don’t have the funds for a fully licensed counselor, look for one that offers sliding scale fees.
Or, you have the option to see a post-graduate person who is working toward the hours they need to sit for their licensing exam. These people have passed a master’s-level program in clinical mental health counseling. Finally, graduate students who are in the final semesters of their programs intern at certain centers for free or at a low cost.
In a lot of cases, therapy works best when combined with psychiatric care. Often, suicidal thoughts come from depression or anxiety caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in mental health, so they can prescribe medications to correct these imbalances.
Active Suicidal Ideation
If someone experiences active suicidal ideation, they’re in much greater danger. People having these types of thoughts often start planning to take their lives. Here are some examples of active suicidal ideation:
- Looking up ways to take a life.
- Procuring or searching for access to lethal means, including guns or pills.
- Setting affairs in order.
- Saying goodbye to friends, family, and/or colleagues.
- Making a plan that includes an exact means of taking their life and/or a date and time.
Treating Active Suicidal Ideation
If you’re experiencing active suicidal ideation or know someone who is, get help immediately. In fact, do not wait or even finish reading this article after you learn the information in this section.
To get the right help, you should skip going to outpatient therapy and go to inpatient care. If a suicide attempt is already in progress, call 911. The operator will coach you through providing first aid and dispatch first responders.
Calling emergency services is also the best course of action if you don’t have a driver’s license or if everyone who can drive is intoxicated, even if an active attempt is not ongoing. That way, a sober first responder can take the person to their inpatient care.
Otherwise, you can go to your local ER, or you can call a local psychiatric hospital and see if they have beds available.
If the person going to inpatient care is alone, consider going with them. You won’t be able to stay with them, but having support through the initial process makes the experience less frightening. It also ensures someone will be there if their condition worsens before admittance.
Taking Care of Yourself
Most likely, after the inpatient stay ends, you or the person affected will want to seek help from a therapist and/or a psychiatrist. In fact, you should do this if you’re experiencing active vs. passive suicidal ideation anyway. In the meantime, you should take a look at some ways to care for yourself while you’re waiting for the appointment!
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