Yes. I’m not a mental healthcare provider and oddly there seems to be a little bit of variance depending on who you’re talking to, but I think the best way to separate the two is this (SI = suicidal ideation):

• Passive SI: wanting something to end your life; examples:
  • “I wish I was dead”
  • “I want to go to sleep forever”
  • “I wish I could just disappear”
  • “It would be nice if I got into a car accident or something and it killed me”
• Active SI: thoughts of dying from your own actions, including:
  • planning the act
  • making accommodations for others when you’re gone
  • “daring” or testing yourself to see if you’ll actually do it
  • speculating on a time and place
  • giving away personal belongings
  • fearing that you might do it

If you’re having SI of any type the best thing you can do is see a therapist, but obviously if it is dire or an emergency then a hospital is the answer. There are other treatment options at levels in between seeing a therapist weekly and going to a hospital that many people don’t know about (and a a surprising number of doctors don’t tell you about) that insurance should cover.

I have a lot of personal experience with this stuff and I’m happy to answer anything anyone is curious about.