Is It Suicidal to Want to Go to Sleep and Never Wake Up Again

Photo by Kinga Cichewicz on Unsplash

"If only I could get to sleep forever."

"I desire to die."

"I wish I'd never been born."

Do you lot ever accept thoughts similar these, and you practice not want to kill yourself? Many people do. They want their life to stop, merely they don't desire to end their life.

If you lot're one of those people, you probably don't call up of yourself as suicidal. It might surprise yous to know that, in clinical parlance, such thoughts are considered to be "passive" suicidal ideation.

What is Suicidality?

Photograph from Fotolia

Technically speaking, the term "passive suicidal thoughts" is an oxymoron. The very significant of suicide is the intentional act of killing oneself. How can someone exist suicidal if they don't want to dice by suicide?

That'south where "passive" comes in. People with passive suicidal thoughts don't desire to practice annihilation to brand themselves dice. They wish it would but happen.

Suicidality – that is, suicidal thoughts or behavior – exists on a spectrum. At ane stop are people who wish they weren't alive anymore but also don't think of suicide. At the other stop of the spectrum are people with extremely high intent to end their life now, or possibly they've even just made a suicide attempt.

At points in between are different gradations of suicidality. Some people call back of killing themselves just quickly turn down the idea. Some want to die by suicide and make a programme but don't intend to deport it out. Some want, plan, and intend to die past suicide merely not any time presently. Those are just a few possibilities.

The Dangers of Passive Suicidal Thoughts

Research indicates that people with passive vs. active suicidal thoughts are at equal risk for attempting suicide. We don't know why, but information technology's reasonable to hypothesize that passive suicidal thoughts can swiftly change from "I want to be expressionless" to "I desire to kill myself."

It's besides possible (though this hasn't been researched specifically) that risk factors for passive suicidal thoughts are similar to risk factors for suicide itself. These risk factors might include mental or physical pain, hopelessness, illness, stress, loss, trauma, poverty, unemployment, human relationship problems, isolation, substance abuse or addiction, sleep disturbance, and more.

In short, people who wish they were dead share something of import with people who want to kill themselves: Both groups desire their pain or bug to end.

Passive suicidality tin lead people to put themselves in danger. For case, they might not article of clothing a seatbelt or drive advisedly. They might apply too many drugs or drink besides much or pick fights with strangers. They're not trying to impale themselves (at to the lowest degree, not consciously), but they also don't care if they get killed.

And so, if you lot have passive suicidal thoughts, please take good intendance of yourself. You may exist at higher run a risk than average for death. I realize that if you want to die, you might welcome such news. But please, recognize the wish for death every bit a symptom of something in your life, or inside of you, that needs healing. Healing, non killing.

How to Get Aid

Photo from Fotolia

Please, talk with somebody about how you're feeling. Sharing your thoughts with a trusted friend, family unit member, teacher, md, minister or other person (or people) serves two purposes: One, they tin can try to help yous. 2, you lot may non feel so alone.

The resources that I list on this website are available to all people in distress, whether or not they think explicitly of suicide: hotlines, crisis text lines, online chat, and more than.

Therapy can address why y'all desire to die, and how to feel meliorate. If therapy is out of reach for y'all financially, take a look at the mail service, "12 Ways to Get Therapy if Yous Tin't Beget It." You also might want to see a doctor to make certain there's no physical condition, like low or a thyroid problem, that's triggering thoughts of death.

A safety program is helpful, too, in instance your desire for death morphs into fantasizing about, or making plans to, kill yourself. A prophylactic plan lays out the steps yous can accept to cope, get help, and stay safe if suicidal thoughts put you in danger. Yous can find a form for completing a safety plan here.

People who desire to be dead ofttimes feel hopeless. Consider filling upward a promise box (real or virtual) with reminders of the people, places, hopes, and possibilities that make life worth living.

In whatsoever instance, I hope you will go assistance. Even if you don't want to take action to end your life, the of import thing is that y'all're hurting or otherwise unhappy. There are many things you can try to feel better, heal, and like being alive.

Stacey Freedenthal, PhD, LCSW, is the author of "Helping the Suicidal Person: Tips and Techniques for Professionals," a psychotherapist and consultant, and an associate professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work.

Copyright 2020 past Stacey Freedenthal, PhD, LCSW. Written for SpeakingOfSuicide.com. All Rights Reserved.

Want to join the conversation?

forsmananiffeepull.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.speakingofsuicide.com/2020/01/10/passive-suicidal-ideation/

Share this post