{"id":126119,"date":"2022-09-05T11:00:15","date_gmt":"2022-09-05T10:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=126119"},"modified":"2023-03-10T15:00:43","modified_gmt":"2023-03-10T15:00:43","slug":"suicidal-ideation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/suicidal-ideation.htm","title":{"rendered":"Suicidal Ideation \u2013 The Bigger Picture You Need To Be Aware Of"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"suicidalby Claudia Cole <\/span><\/p>\n

Worried about where your thinking goes when under stress? ‘Suicidal ideation’ can happen to the best of us, and it’s important we know how to handle it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

*Need urgent support? Call the Samaritans 24-7 at 116 123.\u00a0 If you\u2019re in danger of hurting yourself or someone else, contact 999 for emergency services or go straight to A&E. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

What is suicidal ideation?<\/span><\/h2>\n

According to the Samaritans<\/span><\/a>, 1 in 5 individuals have thought about suicide at some point in their lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Suicidal ideation is a fancy way to describe<\/strong> suicidal thinking<\/a> and ideas.\u00a0<\/span>The term was created by psychologists<\/a> to try to pinpoint and research how suicidal thinking works. But there isn’t a typical suicide victim<\/a>, and there isn’t ‘typical’ suicidal thinking, either.<\/p>\n

So not all researchers agree<\/a> on what does and doesn’t fit under ‘ideation’. Contemplating, wishing for, or being\u00a0preoccupied with death <\/a>and ending your life is ideation. But some want to include suicidal planning under the term, while other psychologists protest it is a different category entirely, as it comes with far greater risk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Passive vs active ideation<\/h2>\n

To clarify this confusion ideation is <\/b>sometimes divided into <\/strong>‘passive’ or ‘active’.<\/p>\n

Passive suicidal ideation<\/strong> is when you\u2019re having thoughts of suicide but with no actual plans to act on it, like fantasies of going to sleep and never waking up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Active suicidal ideation<\/b> is when you have some level of intent to act on such thoughts and may have created a plan to carry them out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why does suicidal thinking matter?<\/h2>\n

Suffering from passive suicidal ideation does not alone mean you will ever try to<\/strong> take your own life.<\/p>\n

A 2021 global<\/strong> World Health Organisation study<\/a> that interviewed over 85 thousand subjects found\u00a0 that two thirds of those who deal with suicidal ideation never make a single attempt at taking their life.<\/span><\/p>\n

But ideation certainly does raise your risk of suicide and should\u00a0 be taken seriously. This is particularly true if it’s your first year of having suicidal thoughts, or if you have a mood or impulse control disorder, factors the same study found elevated one’s risk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

By recognising you have a problem with passive ideation you can learn<\/strong> the warning signs that it is starting for you, and take note if it has arrived with other symptoms that put you at risk of moving towards ‘active’ ideation (more on that below). You can then take steps to keep yourself safe.<\/p>\n

Who is most likely to suffer from suicidal ideation?<\/h2>\n
\"help

Photo by Engin Akyurt for Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n

Anyone can deal with this issue.<\/p>\n

Although statistics do suggest<\/strong> men are more likely to actually take their own lives<\/a>, while women are more likely to suffer from suicidal ideation.<\/p>\n

Why do I suffer from suicidal thoughts?<\/span><\/h2>\n

There is no single explanation for what causes suicidal ideation, and<\/strong> it is different for each person. Some people have a mind that is caught in black and white thinking<\/a> due to childhood trauma<\/a>, and their mind goes to suicidal ideation in the face of any kind of life stress<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For many, though, ideation is triggered by<\/strong> feeling overwhelmed<\/a> by life and struggling to cope<\/a>.<\/span> This can happen if we are facing things like financial difficulties<\/a>, losing a loved one<\/a>, health issues<\/a>, or prolonged stress<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Suicidal ideation can also be associated with mental health disorders.<\/strong> Unsurprisingly, research shows<\/a> it is frequently experienced in those with major depressive disorder. <\/span><\/p>\n

And ideation is a symptom of<\/strong> borderline personality disorder<\/a>, with up to ten per cent of those who have BPD unfortunately going on to successfully act on their thoughts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other factors that may increase the risk of experiencing suicidal ideation<\/strong> include:<\/span><\/p>\n