Key points

Individuals grappling with eating disorders often struggle to articulate their needs, exacerbating symptoms.

Low assertiveness correlates with severe eating disorder behaviors and poorer treatment outcomes.

Learning assertiveness skills can enhance emotion regulation and reduce symptom severity.

Many people navigating eating disorders find it difficult to express their thoughts, emotions, and needs. This difficulty, often rooted in low assertiveness , can intensify symptoms and hinder recovery. A 2013 study in European Psychiatry found that low assertiveness is significantly associated with greater severity of disordered eating behaviors and poorer treatment outcomes 1 .

A later 2019 open-label trial also supported the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral asser

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