Hey Drake,
Please stop worrying so much. With the tests you have had, ECG, echo's, chest xray and blood test, it is almost certain that any remotely serious disease would have been detected. So what's going on here? Well, you're not crazy. As you said, you are a hypochondriac, you have anxiety and panic attacks and depression. Any of these conditions can cause chest pains and all matter of strange feelings. Basically what's going on is: you worry about
not feeling well, which causes you to feel worse, which causes you to worry more. Its what we call a "vicious cycle", and by definition, it can be hard to break through.
It is your anxiety which causes your hypothalamus (a little chemical factory just underneath your brain) to create a cocktail of chemicals that makes you feel like this. Depression, anxiety, panic attacks: they are all caused by an imbalance of hormones and chemicals in your brain and the way you respond to them. The good news is that this means that although it's not under your direct control, or something you can just switch on or off, there are definitely things you can do to stop feeling like this.
The first step is realizing that this is a result of stress and anxiety, and that, given time, your brain will reset itself to a healthy, functional state. All it needs is for you to calm down, and give yourself a chance to realise you're fine and things will be all right.
This is where you come in. Take some time everyday, preferably just after you wake up and before you go to sleep, to just sit down somewhere without any distractions, and "come to yourself", and calm down. Close your eyes, inhale deeply and just try to clear your mind. This is known as meditation, and I know it sounds silly. I don't recommend anything that i haven't tried myself. I can almost guarantee that, after a few days of practicing this, you'll feel much better.
Remember that meditation comes in many shapes and sizes. Anything that you can do that helps you relax or come to a better understanding of yourself can be seen as meditation. I find a good run or walk, reading a book or even playing a silly game can help considerably. Take a stroll outside, a long warm/cold shower, or just go lie flat on the grass somewhere and let go. Whatever suits you to help your mind reset itself.
about your lungs: even people who don't smoke can, in today's industrialised society, show some minor smoking signs in their lungs. This is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. If you really want to help improve your lung's health, try taking up a sport or excercise routine. Cardiovascular activity (running, swimming, soccer, etc.) has been shown to improve lung, heart, and brain health both short-term and long-term. It will make you feel better and keeps you healthy.
Hope this helps, sincerely,
Max
Post Edited (RandomSmithy) : 10/13/2012 7:53:45 AM (GMT-6)