Passive suicidal ideation is when a person desires death but has no specific plan to commit suicide.
If you’re experiencing passive suicidal ideation, your fantasies may involve dying in your sleep or having a fatal accident. You may believe that the world would be better off without you.
Passive doesn’t mean harmless. This train of thought has the potential to make you more likely to put yourself in harm’s way.
Even if passive suicidal ideation appears to be fleeting, the risk of a suicide attempt is very real. The line between passive and active suicidal ideation is blurry. The transition from one to the other can happen slowly or suddenly, and it’s not always obvious to the casual observer.
While someone might admit to wishing to die, they may deny making plans to do so. Warning signs that suicidal ideation has become active include giving away possessions, getting affairs in order, and saying goodbye to loved ones.
No one could ever predict with 100 percent certainty if someone will or will not take their own life. Even trained medical professionals can’t predict who will commit suicide. This is why you need to take threats or thoughts of suicide seriously.
An underlying condition such as substance abuse, major depression, or other mood disorders may lead to a preoccupation with dying. Added stressors such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or a job loss can trigger thoughts of hopelessness or worthlessness.
You shouldn’t take passive suicidal ideation lightly. It’s impossible to predict who’s likely to act on these thoughts. That’s why anyone who expresses passive suicidal ideation should be considered at risk for suicide.