What Is Emotional Drinking?

If you’ve ever poured a glass of wine at 5pm because you felt overwhelmed, lonely, bored, frustrated, or just off—that’s emotional drinking.

You’re not drinking for pleasure or celebration.
You’re drinking to cope.

And for many women in midlife, it becomes a default. A habit. A quiet survival tool.

Common Emotional Triggers That Lead to Drinking

• Stress – work, family, finances, caregiving

• Loneliness – especially after children leave home or during relationship rifts

• Resentment or frustration – the mental load, invisible labour

• Exhaustion – feeling depleted and disconnected

• Hormonal shifts – mood swings, anxiety, irritability

• Feeling “not enough” – imposter syndrome, body image, comparison

• Boredom – the hum of an unfulfilled life

Many of us don’t realise we’re emotionally drinking until we try to take a break - and those feelings rise up without the buffer.

Why Emotional Drinking Becomes a Habit

It’s not because you’re weak. It’s because alcohol works—for a moment.
It numbs. Distracts. Softens the edges.
But it never solves. It only delays.

And worse—it often makes things feel heavier the next day.

In midlife, when so much is shifting—our bodies, roles, relationships—it’s no wonder alcohol becomes the crutch. It’s accessible. Socially accepted. Even encouraged.

Emotional Drinking vs. Problem Drinking

You don’t have to drink every day to have a problem.
You just have to feel like you’re relying on it to manage life.

That’s what grey area drinking is.
And it’s incredibly common.

Can You Emotionally Eat or Scroll Instead?

Absolutely.

If you’ve replaced emotional drinking with emotional eating, doom scrolling, shopping, or other numbing behaviours—you’re not alone. These are all part of the same pattern: escaping discomfort instead of processing it.

How to Break the Cycle of Emotional Drinking

Start small. Get curious, not critical.
Here are a few powerful ways to start shifting the pattern:

1. Pause before you pour – Ask: What am I really needing right now?

2. Name the feeling – Anxiety? Overwhelm? Loneliness? Naming helps disarm it.

3. Change the channel – Go for a walk, call a friend, have a shower

4. Create a comfort ritual – Use tea, music, journaling, lighting a candle

5. Ride the wave – Feelings are temporary. They pass faster than you think.

6. Build your emotional toolkit – Learn better ways to self-soothe and regulate

These aren’t just “tips.” They’re emotional re-training. And they work - especially when paired with support and accountability.

You Don’t Need to Numb to Cope

If you’re stuck in emotional drinking (or swapping one coping habit for another), the first step isn’t willpower. It’s awareness.

You don’t have to commit to forever.
You just have to wonder… What if there’s another way?

Want to Go Deeper?

I talk more about emotional drinking - and the patterns we often replace it with, like food, scrolling or overworking - in my latest solo podcast episode.

I also share a few practical strategies that have helped me and many of the women I coach.

You can listen to the episode here:

 LISTEN ON APPLE HERE

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY HERE

Or search for SOBERish SPARKLE with Belinda Stark  wherever you listen to your pods..