eat one's feelings

Verb

eat one's feelings (third-person singular simple present eats one's feelings, present participle eating one's feelings, simple past ate one's feelings, past participle eaten one's feelings)

1. (idiomatic) To turn to comfort food in order to deal with one's emotional problems.
   • The way I eat my feelings now is much different from how I ate my feelings when I was growing up. I used to use “bad food” as a reward system. If I went to the gym, I deserved a pizza, […]2017, Lindsey Smith, Eat Your Feelings
   • When I got home, I knew I needed to eat so I could sober up, but that led to a massive binge as I ate my feelings. Potato chips, cookies, ice cream — everything I could find in our cabinet or fridge, I ate.2018, Mary Kesinger, Run My World: How I Empowered Myself Through Fitness

   Synonyms:

   eat one's emotions