The end of May marks the end of mental health awareness month, but there’s always more work to be done when it comes to preventing suicide. Currently, suicide is one of the leading causes of death for people of all genders and ages in the United States. But this doesn’t happen out of nowhere. For a lot of people, being passively suicidal is one of the first warning signs to look out for.
When caught in the early stages, there are ways to cope with this so that it does not lead to more detrimental actions down the line. Below, we’ll take a look at exactly what it means to be passively suicidal as well as how to get help for your mental health today.
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Statistics about Suicide
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 16 million people have thought about suicide, made a plan to harm themselves, or made an attempt in the United States. Studies show that the number of people who ended their own life increased in 2021 and preliminary reports show that these numbers continue to rise.
Additionally, the likelihood of somebody experiencing suicidal thoughts or making a suicide attempt increases based on certain risk factors, including:
- Age
- Sexuality
- Family history
- Veteran status
- Co-occurring mental illnesses
- Substance use issues
These statistics reveal just how detrimental suicide is in this country—and how essential it is to prevent it at all costs. Prevention begins with understanding the risks of suicide, the warning signs, and the lesser-known red flags, including having passively suicidal thoughts.
Active Suicidal Ideation vs Passively Suicidal Thoughts
Suicidal ideation refers to having thoughts of ending your life. There are two categories that these thoughts fall into: passive and active. Both types of suicidal ideation should be taken seriously, as they can lead to harmful actions as well as significantly decrease your quality of life. The main difference between having active suicidal ideation and having passively suicidal thoughts has to do with intent.
Active suicidal ideation is characterized by thoughts, plans, or even actions to harm yourself. Having a plan to carry through with these thoughts means that you are actively suicidal and at immediate risk. Experiencing active suicidal ideation can be extremely frightening—but help is always here. If you are having active suicidal thoughts or actively planning a suicide attempt, contact your local authorities or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
Passive suicidal ideation is sometimes less clear. Passively suicidal thoughts usually occur without a plan in place. However, these thoughts still revolve around wanting your life to end. Thoughts of dying, wishing for death, and feeling stuck on your current path in life are all warning signs of being passively suicidal.
There are a few different reasons as to why somebody might experience these passive ideations, including:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Lack of coping strategies
- Substance use
- Addiction to drugs or alcohol
All of these things contribute to the thoughts and feelings you have, as they all have to do with your mental health. This is why it’s so important to take care of your mental health by looking out for the warning signs and getting treatment for your struggles right away.
Warning Signs of Passively Suicidal Thoughts
Though everybody has different experiences when it comes to their mental health, some common thoughts that are warning signs of passively suicidal ideation would be:
- “I wish I was never born.”
- “I don’t have a reason for living.”
- “People would be better off without me.”
- “If I were dead, I wouldn’t have to deal with this.”
- “I wish I would just die.”
These thoughts can often be accompanied by feelings of hopelessness as well as changes in mood and behavior. Engaging in risky behaviors, such as chronically using drugs and/or alcohol to cope with these thoughts, can also contribute to being passively suicidal.
Some people believe that because this ideation is “passive,” it means that there will be no plan to carry through with the thoughts. However, having these passive thoughts often leads to having active suicidal ideation.
Moreover, dealing with passive suicidal ideation can greatly decrease the quality of your life. Thus, getting help when you’re passively suicidal is essential to keeping you safe, healthy, and on the path to happiness.
What to Do if You’re Passively Suicidal
First and foremost, if you are experiencing passive suicidal thoughts, it’s important to get help as soon as possible. There are countless ways to prevent suicide, starting with recognizing the warning signs of being passively suicidal.
From there, you can seek out the proper treatment that will help you to heal from these daunting thoughts and feelings. Working with mental health professionals is a great way to begin to develop healthy coping mechanisms to life’s stressors and triggers. Additionally, there are treatment facilities that are meant to help with your mental health needs.
The Blackberry Center, for example, has treatment options that specifically address depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and other mental health concerns. At this treatment facility, you can also receive help for your mental health and an addiction to drugs or alcohol with the dual diagnosis treatment plan. Furthermore, our crisis stabilization program assists patients who need immediate help—we even accept walk-ins.
All of our treatment programs use effective and evidence-based therapeutic approaches. Some of the types of services you can expect to receive at our center include:
- Individualized therapy
- Group sessions
- Medication management
- Recreational therapy
- Family education
- Discharge planning
Moreover, the treatment plan you receive will be personalized. Know that your struggle with mental health doesn’t have to be ongoing. Instead, finding peace is possible with the right help.
Help Is Here at The Blackberry Center
If you feel that you are having difficulty with passively suicidal thoughts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today. Call us at 888-512-9802 or submit an online confidential contact form. We’re here to turn all of your recovery goals into actions.
The post Passively Suicidal: What Does It Mean, and Can You Fix It? appeared first on The Blackberry Center of Central Florida.
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Original Author: The Blackberry Center
