I am seeing a doctor about my chronic neck pain and she’s working on helping me relax and manage the pain when it comes. I’m afraid to stop seeing her because I may not be able to do this on my own. Is this normal?

When someone has been in pain for a long time, finding a way to help manage it can be quite a relief. And, since it was so difficult to find a helpful technique, once you’ve found it, you don’t want to let it go. That is completely understandable.

Have you spoken with your doctor about your concerns? It’s not common for a doctor to discharge you from a program with no follow-up. Usually, there are arrangements that can be made so you can either have follow-up visits, phone calls, or other resources available to you to help you learn how to manage on your own. Perhaps if you explain this to your doctor, she can reassure you about the steps that she takes when she feels a patient is ready to go it alone.