I read the book "Living with Bipolar" by Lesley Berc and others. In the list of symptoms it says suicidal thought are normal for bipolars. I had a laugh because it said, "suicide thoughts are normal but if you start to make plans for it, call your doctor immediately"
I once said to myself, ok, if you think about it as an option so often, check it out. I googled suicide methods and it made me feel better. I gave myself the option and decided against it and the big trick was to realize that it is not what I chose.