Generalised anxiety disorder: finding support in Spain

GAD involves anxiety about a range of everyday matters that is difficult to control and interferes with daily life. Feeling tense, struggling to concentrate, irritability, fatigue or sleep problems may accompany it. These experiences overlap with other conditions, so a webpage cannot tell you which diagnosis, if any, applies.

You might worry about finances, family health or a task at work, then find the worry attaching to something else when one question is settled. The important point for an assessment is the effect on your life, not whether each topic seems important enough to someone else.

Spanish paperwork, unfamiliar routines or managing responsibilities across countries may be part of your circumstances. Equally, you may have lived with persistent anxiety long before moving to Valencia or Alicante. A clinician or practitioner should listen to that history rather than assume that relocation caused the problem.

For a first conversation, describe how often worry takes up your attention, what it prevents you doing and whether sleep or concentration is affected. You do not have to produce a full medical history through an online enquiry form.

The NHS describes talking therapies, commonly cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and medicines prescribed by a doctor among the care options for GAD. Which approach is appropriate depends on assessment, preferences, severity and existing care. A qualified clinician can also consider physical health or other explanations for symptoms.

If you are searching for an English-speaking psychologist or anxiety counsellor in Spain, ask about qualifications, experience with persistent worry, the proposed approach and whether appointments are online or in person. General supportive counselling and disorder-focused treatment are not automatically the same service.

TRT is a separate stress and anxiety recovery approach using the Human Stability Framework, guided materials and practical work in everyday life. An enquiry can establish what you want to work on and whether this form of support may fit. It is not a diagnostic appointment or a promise to treat every condition described in this guide.

One-to-one sessions can be arranged via Zoom, FaceTime, or in person at Oliva Nova or nearby. People along the Valencia–Alicante coast can enquire about online support without being athletes or members of a club. Tell us about any existing care so that a different approach is not mistaken for a replacement. Do not stop prescribed treatment on the basis of this page.