"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 assertiveness training in outpatient eating disorder treatment, noting improvements in emotional regulation and interpersonal functioning 2."
"Assertiveness as a Recovery Tool Assertiveness is not a personality trait. It is a skill. And like any skill, it can be learned and strengthened. Developing assertiveness helps individuals express their needs clearly and directly, reducing reliance on harmful coping mechanisms. It also helps build trust and connection. Assertive communication nurtures mutual respect and honesty, key ingredients in relationships that support recovery."
Many people with eating disorders have difficulty expressing thoughts, emotions, and needs, often due to low assertiveness. Low assertiveness is significantly associated with greater severity of disordered eating behaviors and poorer treatment outcomes. Cognitive behavioral assertiveness training in outpatient settings has produced improvements in emotional regulation and interpersonal functioning. Assertiveness is a learnable skill that enables clear, direct expression of needs and reduces reliance on harmful coping mechanisms. Developing assertiveness builds trust, connection, mutual respect, and honesty in relationships that support recovery. Common barriers include internalized beliefs that needs do not matter, fear of conflict, perfectionism, people-pleasing, past invalidation, and confusing assertiveness with aggression.
Read at Psychology Today
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