Health Anxiety: Coping with Fear of Illness - Psychiatry

Hypochondriasis symptoms?

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Hello, doctor.
I apologize for bothering you.
Since I entered my senior year of high school, I have hardly slept well (only 3-5 hours a day).
Shortly after school started, I went to get vaccinated, and while I was in the observation area, I began to experience chest pain.
Then the bad things started happening.
A day or two later, the chest pain did not improve, and I was very anxious, wondering if it could be myocarditis or something similar.
I opened my phone to learn more about my symptoms, and I stumbled upon terms like "myocardial infarction" and "angina," which made me so scared that I started crying.
My chest still hurt, and I was terrified of facing a serious situation.
Later, I rushed to the emergency room to see a doctor for the first time, and I had an electrocardiogram done.
The doctor said everything was fine and that it was just a normal side effect, giving me some anti-inflammatory medication.
However, even after taking the medication, I still didn’t feel much better; my stomach was a bit uncomfortable, I had a poor appetite, and I felt nauseous.
At that time, I was also experiencing some insomnia since school had just started.
When I searched online, I even found out that I might be at risk of sudden death.
During that period, my throat would feel uncomfortable in the afternoon, and after dinner at night, when I lay down, I would sweat from my palms, soles, and the back of my neck.
I was so afraid that it was the cold sweat associated with a myocardial infarction, especially since I read that women can experience atypical symptoms like pain in the stomach, arms, or back.
I was genuinely scared.
Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore and went to see my family doctor.
He said I had periostitis and some neuralgia, and that I was a bit too anxious.
He prescribed me some medication, and I continued with the anti-inflammatory and stomach medications, along with a mild sedative to help me sleep better.
He advised me to rest more.
However, I couldn’t go to bed early because I had to catch up on my studies.
The situation only slightly eased; the only improvement was in my insomnia, while the chest pain persisted, and my stomach discomfort (mainly in the morning) continued.
I also started experiencing soreness in various parts of my body (shoulder, neck, back pain, headaches, and soreness in my limbs).
So, I went to see a doctor for the second and third time, and he still said it was anxiety and neuralgia, giving me the same medication.
Each time I left the office, I was half-convinced, feeling that the reality was much less severe than what I had found online, far less than what I feared.
But since he is a professional and everyone sees him, his conclusions must have some merit.
Moreover, I had classmates with similar symptoms, so I thought I probably didn’t have anything too serious.
Yet, I found it hard to believe, and I remained very anxious about having a serious illness.
Now, whenever I notice something strange in my body, I become very fearful, thinking I might have a severe condition.
For example, if I have a dry mouth or sudden tingling in my fingers, I worry I might have diabetes, to the point where I check my urine for sweetness every time I use the bathroom.
If I notice my urine seems a bit cloudy, I worry I might have kidney disease or a urinary tract infection (later, I collected my urine in a clear container and found it was actually very clear, probably due to the toilet water).
I don’t have the time or money for blood tests or urine tests, and I fear my family will think I’m making a big deal out of nothing if it turns out I’m fine.
All I can do is search on my phone, but every time I finish searching, I feel scared, and at my worst, I even cry.
I really want to break free from this habit of searching for information online, and I don’t want to develop a chronic illness.
However, every time I hear the doctor say I’m just too anxious, I find it hard to believe, and I still worry that I haven’t described my symptoms in enough detail or that he might have made an incorrect judgment.
I feel so distressed, and I want my pain to go away soon.
But now, as soon as I feel any tingling in my feet, dryness in my eyes, bad breath, soreness in my hands, or itching in my back, I fear that I might have some chronic disease.
Even though I know the risks of these issues are relatively low at my age, what if? What if I’m that unlucky? I found you while searching online, and due to family circumstances, I can’t easily go to the hospital, but I believe you are professionals who might be able to clarify my situation.
Could this be considered illness anxiety disorder? How should I overcome this when it’s difficult to convince myself to get a physical examination? Thank you, doctor, for your patience in reading this long message.

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Lan Yu, 10~19 year old female. Ask Date: 2021/10/23