During nearly every moment that you’re awake, you likely have some type of thought running through your head, whether it be the process of completing a task at work or taking note of your surroundings while taking a walk. While it would be nice to only have positive thoughts, that’s just not realistic. 

It’s important to remember that having negative thoughts doesn’t always mean that you’re experiencing mental health distress. Your brain processes approximately 70,000 thoughts every day, so many of them are bound to be negative. Perhaps you get annoyed at your disruptive co-worker or you feel angry about a rude comment that was said while you were in line at the grocery store. But do you ever have thoughts about dying or killing yourself? These types of negative thoughts, known as passive suicidal thoughts, shouldn’t be dismissed. If you don’t address them, these thoughts can lead to the risk of suicide, known as suicidality. 

In this blog post, we’ll talk about what passive suicidal thoughts are and when they could be a sign of a mental health disorder or crisis. 

Defining passive suicidal thoughts

Passive suicidal thoughts refer to a type of suicidal ideation. It means that a person has thoughts about death or suicide without plans or intent to end their life. 

If you have passive suicidal thoughts, you may think that you’re better off dead or that you’d rather never wake up from sleeping because your life is difficult or you feel like it’s not worth living. You may also have thoughts about what it would be like to be in a life-threatening or fatal accident.

Examples of passive suicidal thoughts include:

• “I want to just disappear.”
• “Everyone would be better off if I died.”
• “I don’t want to wake up in the morning.”
• “I hope I get into a car accident.”

It’s important to note the difference between passive and active suicidal thoughts or ideation. Active suicidal thoughts mean that you have plans to self-harm or kill yourself. While passive suicidal thoughts do not involve active plans or intentions to die by suicide, they are still serious and warrant professional attention. 

When you should be concerned about passive suicidal thoughts

Many people make jokes or empty threats when they experience an inconvenience or everyday struggle. Perhaps you say things like, “I’d rather die than sit in this traffic for one more moment” or “I’m just going to kill myself” when you miss out on a job opportunity. But suicide isn’t a joke, and it shouldn’t be treated as one. 

Suicidal ideation can stem from nondiagnosable mental health challenges that interfere with your overall quality and outlook on life. It’s not uncommon to have passive suicidal thoughts during difficult times. Prolonged stress or trauma, such as harassment and relationship issues, or difficult life changes, such as divorce or loss of a loved one, can lead to passive suicidal thoughts. However, having suicidal ideation about common life challenges doesn’t mean that those thoughts should be brushed aside as expected or no big deal. 

If you’re having regular or worsening passive suicidal thoughts, it’s time to seek treatment. Passive suicidal thoughts are a common sign of many mental health disorders. Without help from mental health professionals, the thoughts can escalate and lead to being in danger to yourself, resulting in a mental health crisis. 

Passive suicidal ideation may be a symptom of mental health disorders including:

• Major depressive disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Anxiety disorders

You may be more at risk for passive or active suicidal ideation if you:

• Have had a previous suicide attempt
• Are part of the LGBTQIA+ community
• Served in the military
• Have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder
• Have been diagnosed with a chronic health condition or traumatic brain injury
• Have a family history of suicide
• Struggle with substance use
• Lack social support

If you believe that you’re at risk to yourself, or your passive suicidal thoughts have become active suicidal ideation, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.

Lightfully Behavioral Health can help when you’re concerned about passive suicidal ideation

Passing thoughts can be scary, but they can also tell us something deeper about our mental health that shouldn’t be avoided. If you find yourself thinking about death and suicide on a regular basis, you should talk to your doctor. They will likely refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist.

At Lightfully, our levels of care can help when passive suicidal ideation is affecting your overall mental and emotional health or is connected to a disorder that requires treatment. Our framework consists of evidence-based and whole-person-centered care provided by deeply compassionate experts.

Change is possible. If you want to prevent passive suicidal thoughts from worsening, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.