If only…
my job were less stressful
my children were in fewer activities
my husband were more affectionate
my parents treated me like an adult
our home were less chaotic
my sex life were more satisfying
….I wouldn’t overeat.
But, yes, you would. It’s a fantasy to think any set of circumstances would fundamentally change the way you respond to and cope with stress and disappointment. There is always some form of stress and some form of emotional upset in life.
What needs to change is not your circumstances, but how you respond to them.
If only…
when my job is stressful, I would turn to the Lord and cry out for his help
when my children are in too many activities, I would ask the Lord to help my see from which activities we need to bow out
when my husband is not affectionate, I would ask God to show me how he is providing me with his affection through his Spirit and his Body, the Church
when my parents treat me like a child, I would call upon the Lord to enable me to forgive and understand them
when the whole house is in chaos, I would put my trust in God’s ability to give me eternal perspective and find a level in comfort in what I cannot control
when I get little or no satisfaction from sex, I would learn to appreciate all the many ways in which God provides satisfaction and fulfillment from his creation—flowers, animals, sights, sounds, friends, children, music, sunsets
…and I wouldn’t even think about food as a coping mechanism.