Dr. Adam Phillip Nelson, M.D.

I'm always confused by questions about what is "normal". I prefer to consider such questions in terms of "Is this healthy?". The key to the answer is in your heading. You say you worry "too much" about death. That suggests that it might feel like a problem for you. Do your thoughts of others' dying interfere with whatever it is you are trying to do in the moment? If you are trying to express your feelings or other appropriate sentiments, do your thoughts cause you to act or say things awkwardly or feel uncomfortable in the presence of someone who is ill? If you know someone who you can trust to confide in about such matters, you may want to speak with them to address these questions. Or if no one springs to mind that could be trusted with such sharing, then perhaps you may wish to consult a counselor or therapist to help you decide whether your thoughts are problematic or not and, if so, how to better manage or cope with them.

Comparing yourself rarely leads to solutions, and more typically can cause shame and embarrassment. I generally don't recommend it. A well-trained counselor or therapist can help you find that middle ground between keeping them safe and overprotecting them. Would you be willing to consult with someone in your community? If you haven't already, that would probably be a good place to start.

Binge-Eating Disorder is a mental disorder diagnosis listed in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 5th edition). However, binge eating may also be a symptom of a number of other problems related to mood, anxiety, job, social life, school, or a side effect of some medications and recreational drugs, among other things. There are many places you could turn to for help with evaluating and treating this problem. However, given your rapid weight gain in a relatively short period of time, my suggestion for your first step would be to visit your GP, family physician, or primary care doctor for a physical examination to make sure that this behavior and weight gain is not due to a medication side effect or other medical problem, and that there is no serious harm or risk to your health as a result. If there is a medical cause, your doctor can refer you to appropriate care to correct the problem. Otherwise, once your doctor declares your physical health to be ok and rules out any medically correctable causes, you can ask him or her for recommendations for next steps in your local community. Depending on the severity of your problem, options for further evaluation and treatment might include residential or outpatient treatment programs, support groups, consultation with a dietician, psychiatrist, and/or therapist who specialize in binge eating and possible psychological causes. This is not a complete answer to your question, and there are many other possible causes and treatments to consider as well. A consultation with a licensed and trained professional in your local community who is an expert on eating disorders and associated problems would be essential.

The short answer to your question is: No, negative thinking is not a disease.
The longer answer would need to take into account what exactly do you mean by negative thinking. Often times, negative thoughts may emerge in response to certain situations or events, or even certain people, and many times, the explanation for those thoughts may not be apparent or obvious to someone who is having such thoughts. There may be other times when negative thinking can be an early harbinger of illness or a symptom of an illness already present. It typically takes a trained professional to know when such thoughts are related to situations and when they become symptoms of something else. The question to consider asking yourself would be: Do these negative thoughts in any way impact or interfere with your social, occupational, or work life? If the answer is "yes", you may want to consider getting a consultation with a trained professional who can evaluate your concerns and ask further questions which would then point you toward the correct answer, as well as offering recommendations to remedy, resolve, or manage these negative thoughts effectively. Best of luck in your quest.

Dr. Nelson