[jesusplay]

When are suicidal thoughts considered to be abnormal? I have thoughts, sometimes a plan, but 99% of the time no will to act on these thoughts. Is this normal?

[bronzeowl]

In abnormal psychology, I read/heard that most people have passing thoughts of it. But they become abnormal when it occurs frequently, even if there is no will to act on them. I would say that sounds about right. I think most people have thought about it at least once just in passing. Those of us who think about it frequently, however, typically qualify for a diagnosis of depression, bipolar disorder, or another psychological disorder. Therefore, the thoughts could be symptoms of the disorder. If I remember right, the thoughts with no intent on acting on them is suicidal ideation.

[Pierro]

It is normal for me to have thoughts of suicide very regular. Maybe my mental health is a bit wobbly to say the least.

[birchtree]

I thought it was normal to think about and plan, but when I finally admitted to someone else and they freaked out I realized it wasn't

[Fuzzybear]

They're normal for me but I don't think it's normal for other people...

[Altered Moment]

It depends on how you define normal I guess. For those of us with depression it is very normal. If I am not in a deep depression I don't have them. I do remember when I was not at all in a depression thinking....what if I just drove my car off the side of the road or into incoming traffic. Just a passing thought. Maybe that is what happens to normal people once in a great while.

As bronzeowl said it depends how frequent they are, what other symptoms you are having, and so on. Definitely a major symptom of depression.

[Momentofclarity]

Originally Posted by zinco14532323

I do remember when I was not at all in a depression thinking....what if I just drove my car off the side of the road or into incoming traffic. Just a passing thought. Maybe that is what happens to normal people once in a great while.

Happens to me alot... but never when I feel well.

Originally Posted by birchtree

I thought it was normal to think about and plan, but when I finally admitted to someone else and they freaked out I realized it wasn't

The thing is...even if it was common... would that make your friend calm? If a friend told me he/she has a lifethreatening disease and did not know or thought about it I would probably freakout even if it was a common one ..right?

Originally Posted by jesusplay

When are suicidal thoughts considered to be abnormal? I have thoughts, sometimes a plan, but 99% of the time no will to act on these thoughts. Is this normal?

Everyone gets suicidal thoughts once in their life. In my hospital (and I am quite sure they do the same in the whole country and most hospitals in eu and na) they rate depression in this way..

1. Thinks about suicide once in a while..
2. Thinks it might be nice to not live but doesn't actually want to die.
3. Wants to commit suicide.
4. Have plans to commit suicide.

The backside of this method is that I don't think everyone who do commit suicide ever plans it... cause I've never planned but I do get impulses to jump out the window or such in certain periods... But essentially everyone here including me are sick you know..

If any of the 2-4 best correspond to your feelings you should get proffessional help imo. If 3-4.. consider a suicide hotline.. if 4... please call a suicide hotline asap...I personally beg you.

Hope my comment doesn't affect anyone negatively.

[Bigmike727]

In my opinion, I guess it depends on the frequency and intensity of them. If you have a suicidal thought once or twice and you dismiss it, more than likely nothing serious is wrong. However, if you constantly fantasize about ending it or begin making serious plans, then something serious is wrong. Atleast thats my opinion. Wishing you the best.

[waterknob1234]

I have had suicidal thoughts quite frequently and I talk myself out of them. Suicidal thoughts are probably not normal, but for folks with depression, we have those thoughts. If those thoughts go along with fatigue and chronic emotional misery get help from a doc or therapist. Keep posting to us. Wish you well

[TheOriginalMe]

I would say that suicidal thoughts are not unusual but probaly not normal either.
I have been plagued by suicidal thoughts for long periods of my life. At times I have made specific plans and occasionally carried those plans through (unsuccessfully, obviously).
My GP asks me everytime I visit about the frequency and intensity of these thoughts and my motivation to carry them out. We have both come to accept that these thoughts are "normal for me" as part of my depressive illness.
Find someone you can trust, preferably a medical professional who listens properly, and tell them that although you don't have the motivation to carry them through, you are having such thoughts. There are coping techniques and other things a doc should be able to help with. Suicidal ideation can be very intrusive and very disturbing and is best not kept bottled up.

[dandylin]

Originally Posted by TheOriginalMe

I would say that suicidal thoughts are not unusual but probaly not normal either.
I have been plagued by suicidal thoughts for long periods of my life. At times I have made specific plans and occasionally carried those plans through (unsuccessfully, obviously).
My GP asks me everytime I visit about the frequency and intensity of these thoughts and my motivation to carry them out. We have both come to accept that these thoughts are "normal for me" as part of my depressive illness.
Find someone you can trust, preferably a medical professional who listens properly, and tell them that although you don't have the motivation to carry them through, you are having such thoughts. There are coping techniques and other things a doc should be able to help with. Suicidal ideation can be very intrusive and very disturbing and is best not kept bottled up.

I agree. Learning to live with ideation for the duration is my main priority right now

[blackmagic]

I used to think, "doesn't everyone?"

Apparently not.

I think some people think about it more often, sometimes constantly. It depends how bad my state is. More often I just get my brain telling me "run away."

Are suicidal thoughts normal?? In my head they are.

[Hellion]

I think a majority of people probably might vaguely think about it, even just out of curiosity...I'd say when its frequent and you are planning on acting on it or are afraid you can't stop yourself from acting on it that is when its an issue....but I don't think passing thoughts on the topic of suicide would be abnormal.

[freefallin]

I don't have suicidal thoughts so much as nonexistent thoughts, if that makes any sense. I don't want to kill myself, and I'm too chicken to kill myself. Sometimes I wish I could just cancel my existence, though, because it seems like there is literally no way out of my problems and I'm just stuck. I have never conveyed these thoughts to any therapists because I am afraid they would hospitalize me even though I know for a fact I wouldn't actually do anything and don't have plans or anything. Would be helpful to get it off my chest, but I'm too scared of having more control taken from me than I've already lost.

[ashland]

I spin the barrel more then a few times, only my pdoc can answer that question. so for me yes its normal. I have had enough death in my family for a lifetime.

[Momentofclarity]

Originally Posted by freefallin

I don't have suicidal thoughts so much as nonexistent thoughts, if that makes any sense. I don't want to kill myself, and I'm too chicken to kill myself. Sometimes I wish I could just cancel my existence, though, because it seems like there is literally no way out of my problems and I'm just stuck. I have never conveyed these thoughts to any therapists because I am afraid they would hospitalize me even though I know for a fact I wouldn't actually do anything and don't have plans or anything. Would be helpful to get it off my chest, but I'm too scared of having more control taken from me than I've already lost.

I feel that a post I made earlier in this thread is relevant to yours... I'lle quote myself..

Originally Posted by Momentofclarity

Everyone gets suicidal thoughts once in their life. In my hospital (and I am quite sure they do the same in the whole country and most hospitals in eu and na) they rate depression in this way..

1. Thinks about suicide once in a while..
2. Thinks it might be nice to not live but doesn't actually want to die.
3. Wants to commit suicide.
4. Have plans to commit suicide.

If any of the 2-4 best correspond to your feelings you should get proffessional help imo. If 3-4.. consider a suicide hotline.. if 4... please call a suicide hotline asap...I personally beg you.

Hope my comment doesn't affect anyone negatively.

If i remember correctly you also get to choose 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 if that would make a difference. The point is anyway that in my country the hospitals really do see a difference between wanting to disappear , or "cancel ones existence" or such... and actually wanting to kill yourself... it's also another thing to have plans for it. I've never been hospitalised and I've admitted at least that I have suicidal thoughts to doctor.

Giving your doctors the truth gives them a better chance to treat you correctly. If you really don't want to tell the truth maybe give understate a few parts... maybe that will it easier to tell the whole truth later...

Just a thought..I am no doctor...

[A.Lone]

I agree with others in that being "non-existent" is better than living, struggling each day just to get by or going through the motions of being alive. Thinking about the ways of committing scare me though. And if I did attempt suicide and wasn't "successful," I'm guessing my life would be worse off than before. Plus there's the thoughts of the few people who do care about me, how would they feel? How would it affect my elderly mother who is also alone and depends on me?

When I go to bed, it would be nice to never wake up again. Or how about an airplane hitting my house, tornado or hurricane killing me, or a vehicle crossing my path?

While I may be too scared to actually commit the act of suicide, I do wish daily my life would cease to exist. I'm just so tired of going through life the way it is now.

[glok]

Not according to these people:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...cidal-thoughts
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...cidal-thoughts

[freefallin]

Originally Posted by Momentofclarity

I feel that a post I made earlier in this thread is relevant to yours... I'lle quote myself..


If i remember correctly you also get to choose 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 if that would make a difference. The point is anyway that in my country the hospitals really do see a difference between wanting to disappear , or "cancel ones existence" or such... and actually wanting to kill yourself... it's also another thing to have plans for it. I've never been hospitalised and I've admitted at least that I have suicidal thoughts to doctor.

Giving your doctors the truth gives them a better chance to treat you correctly. If you really don't want to tell the truth maybe give understate a few parts... maybe that will it easier to tell the whole truth later...

Just a thought..I am no doctor...

Thanks for your ideas. I'm just really terrified that I'll be hospitalized anyway because, in my experience, there are a lot of doctors out there who don't follow the rules in terms of when they're "supposed" to hospitalize patients. For instance, my little sister pulled out of the driveway screaming that she was going to kill herself in front of the cops, and her doctor still didn't hospitalize her. We thought she was finally going to be forced to get help, and the doctors and the cops agreed to just send her back home. Meanwhile, I went to a psychologist for anxiety attacks a few years ago, and she told me her suggestion was to admit myself into a psychiatric hospital...for run of the mill anxiety attacks. I told her I didn't want to do that, and she told me that she hopes my dad forced me into hospitalization then (I was 20 years old, but I lived in his house, so she said he could force me into hospitalization if he wanted). That scared the heck out of me, so now I'm just really careful with what I say around anyone who has the power to put me in the hospital.

[Momentofclarity]

Originally Posted by freefallin

Thanks for your ideas. I'm just really terrified that I'll be hospitalized anyway because, in my experience, there are a lot of doctors out there who don't follow the rules in terms of when they're "supposed" to hospitalize patients. For instance, my little sister pulled out of the driveway screaming that she was going to kill herself in front of the cops, and her doctor still didn't hospitalize her. We thought she was finally going to be forced to get help, and the doctors and the cops agreed to just send her back home. Meanwhile, I went to a psychologist for anxiety attacks a few years ago, and she told me her suggestion was to admit myself into a psychiatric hospital...for run of the mill anxiety attacks. I told her I didn't want to do that, and she told me that she hopes my dad forced me into hospitalization then (I was 20 years old, but I lived in his house, so she said he could force me into hospitalization if he wanted). That scared the heck out of me, so now I'm just really careful with what I say around anyone who has the power to put me in the hospital.

oh...well..I can't argue against such experience. :/ I still kinda hold on the part about being honest is important for your doctor to know... but yeah...easy for me to say.

hugs to you sir/mam

[Whoaminoone]

I don't know how "normal" suicidal thoughts are, generally speaking, but I can't recall a day that I haven't had suicidal thoughts. Sometimes it's just a fleeting thought, sometimes it's almost an obsession. I've had so many plans I couldn't keep count if I tried. I've had a few failed attempts.
I guess what I'm saying is that *for me* suicidal thoughts are very "normal".