I know this may not be a popular answer, but...

When I'm depressed, I almost always get suicidal thoughts. I start thinking about ways I'm going to kill myself, but...I never act on those thoughts... mostly because I'm too scared and becaus I never come up with a specific "plan"

In my opinion, it's perfectly "normal" to have suicidal thoughts... Most therapists and pdocs won't try to commit you just because you have suicidal thoughts. They know the difference between "not wanting to exist" and "I'm about to jump off a bridge". But, of course they're going to recommend that you consider the ER to be safe

So... I dunno... You know yourself better than anyone else. If you're afraid of yourself, go to the ER. If these suicidal thoughts are just passing thoughts, then you might be fine. But, it can't hurt to go to the ER. It's the safe thing to do if you're unsure