ok... these are just my thoughts, based on personal and professional experience (i used to work at a suicide-prevention crisis line)...

i think most people, if not all, think about death at some point. most ppl will even think about their own death e.g., who will come to my funeral? i want to see my children grow up, i want to have accomplished xyz etc. these thoughts are common - they do not express a desire to die. they are more an exploration of what happens after death, and a recognition that death happens to everyone.

on the other hand, i do not believe that everyone has thoughts about suicide. suicidal thoughts/ideation are the same thing. they are thoughts about your own death, and about wanting to bring about your own death. they usually occur when you are under an (unspecified) amount of distress - for some people this can be what outsiders would call very "minor" matters, but it is not for anyone to judge whether they are appropriate or not. i do not think that most of the population have suicidal thoughts, but i do think that it is more common than people are willing to speak about.

having thoughts about suicide does not necessarily mean that you intend to act upon those thoughts. this is why mental health professionals conduct a severity assessment when they find about that clients are thinking about suicide. we want to know plans in terms of how immediate, lethality, and how concrete they are.

so suicidal thoughts can occur in a context where there is minimal intent. usually it is a form of fantasy, a desire to escape whatever present distress is occuring.

however, yes - i do believe that suicidal ideation/thoughts should be taken seriously. firstly, they are the best (although not a perfect) predictor of someone actually attempting or completing suicide. secondly, even if intent is not there, i believe that even discussing these thoughts with a non-judgemental supportive person can be beneficial - help clarify why these thoughts are occuring, other things to do instead of attempting suicide etc. in my work, i have found that a lot of ppl see suicide as the only option available to them - but sometimes a bit of brainstorming from an outside perspective can help the client see there are many other options available also.

i think suicidal thoughts/ideation are serious, and shouldn't be a taboo topic in society. however, i dont believe that every instance of a suicidal thought is something that necessitates emergency services. if anyone is having suicidal thoughts, i would encourage them to talk to a professional. as someone who has worked in this area before, i appreciate when i am given the opportunity to work with someone who is having these thoughts in a "low danger" level i.e., they do not plan to harm themselves immediately. it provides an opportunity to discuss more life enhancing alternatives than, say, with someone who is in the process of attempting, where your options for immediate response are limited and more geared towards immediate safety.

edit: i am happy to receive pms if anyone wants to discuss this with me in private. i will keep trying to check back on this thread, of course, but sometimes my addled brain forgets which threads to follow up on .