Why We Turn to Food, Alcohol and Smoking When We're Stressed
- Andrea Aro
- Jun 25
- 4 min read
Understanding the Search for Relief
When people are stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, lonely, frustrated, or emotionally exhausted, they naturally look for ways to feel better.
This is not a weakness.
It is not a lack of willpower.
It is a human response.
The brain is designed to move away from discomfort and towards relief. When emotional pain, stress, or anxiety becomes difficult to manage, many people find themselves reaching for something that offers comfort.
For some, that might be food.
For others, alcohol.
Some people smoke, vape, use cannabis, spend excessively, gamble, or become reliant on other behaviours that help them escape difficult feelings, even if only for a short time.
The important thing to understand is that the desire to feel better is not the problem.
The problem is when the solution becomes another source of difficulty.
The Appeal of Quick Relief
Many coping mechanisms work because they provide immediate changes in how we feel.
A drink may create a temporary sense of relaxation.
Comfort food may trigger feelings of pleasure and comfort.
Smoking may provide a brief feeling of calm.
Cannabis may create a sense of detachment from worries and stress.
These experiences can feel powerful because they offer immediate relief from emotional discomfort.
The brain pays attention to relief.
When something reduces stress, even temporarily, the brain learns to repeat it.
Over time, this can create a powerful association:
Stress → Coping Behaviour → Temporary Relief
The more frequently this cycle occurs, the more automatic it becomes.
When Coping Becomes Dependence
Many unwanted habits begin with good intentions.
Few people consciously decide to develop a dependency on alcohol, nicotine, food, cannabis, or any other coping mechanism.
Instead, the behaviour becomes linked to emotional regulation.
After a stressful day, a drink becomes the reward.
After an argument, food becomes comfort.
During anxiety, smoking becomes a source of relief.
The habit starts to feel necessary rather than optional.
This is often where people begin to feel stuck.
They know the behaviour isn't helping them in the long run, yet they struggle to imagine coping without it.
Why Temporary Relief Often Creates Long-Term Problems
One of the biggest challenges with external coping mechanisms is that they typically address symptoms rather than causes.
The stress remains.
The anxiety remains.
The emotional triggers remain.
The difficult situations remain.
Once the temporary effect wears off, people often find themselves back where they started.
Sometimes they feel even worse.
Many individuals report experiencing:
- Increased anxiety
- Poor sleep
- Reduced energy
- Lower mood
- Feelings of guilt or frustration
- Reduced confidence
- Financial stress
- Physical health concerns
What began as a strategy for managing stress can gradually become another source of stress.
The Physical Cost of Unhelpful Coping Strategies
The body keeps score.
Over time, habits used to manage stress can place significant strain on physical wellbeing.
Depending on the coping mechanism, people may experience:
- Fatigue
- Sleep disruption
- Weight gain
- Digestive issues
- Reduced fitness
- Increased stress hormones
- Lower motivation
- Reduced concentration
Many people are surprised to discover that the behaviours they rely on to feel calmer are contributing to their physical exhaustion and emotional depletion.
The Financial Impact
There is also the financial cost to consider.
Regular spending on alcohol, cigarettes, vaping products, takeaways, cannabis, gambling, or other habits can quickly accumulate.
Many clients are shocked when they calculate the true annual cost of habits that have become part of their daily routine.
The financial pressure can create additional stress, which then reinforces the original cycle.
Learning New Ways to Regulate Emotions
Breaking free from unhelpful habits is rarely about simply removing the behaviour.
The real work involves learning alternative ways to manage emotions.
This is where emotional regulation becomes important.
Emotional regulation is the ability to recognise, understand, and respond to feelings in a healthy way.
When people develop stronger emotional regulation skills, they often feel less dependent on external sources of comfort.
Instead of automatically reaching for food, alcohol, cigarettes, or other substances, they learn how to:
- Calm their nervous system
- Manage stress effectively
- Process difficult emotions
- Build resilience
- Develop self-confidence
- Create healthier coping strategies
How Hypnotherapy Can Help
Hypnotherapy can help individuals understand the patterns driving unwanted habits and develop healthier responses to stress and emotional discomfort.
Rather than focusing solely on stopping a behaviour, hypnotherapy often explores the emotional needs the behaviour has been attempting to meet.
As people become more skilled at creating feelings of calm, safety, confidence, and control internally, many find that unwanted habits begin to lose their grip.
The goal is not simply to remove a coping mechanism.
The goal is to help people develop healthier ways of feeling better.
Moving Forward
If you have found yourself relying on alcohol, smoking, emotional eating, cannabis, or other habits to cope with stress, you are not alone.
You are not broken.
You are not weak.
You have simply been doing your best to find relief.
The encouraging news is that there are other ways to achieve that relief—ways that support your wellbeing rather than undermine it.
Learning to regulate emotions, manage stress effectively, and respond differently to challenges can help you create lasting change and a greater sense of freedom.
Looking for Support?
Andrea Aro Clinical Hypnotherapy in Sussex helps clients address stress, anxiety, emotional eating, drinking habits, smoking, and other unwanted behaviours by developing healthier ways of coping and building emotional resilience.
You don't have to rely on short-term relief forever. There are other ways forward.
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