Using food to cope will never equate to using an addictive substance to cope.

I have often heard people in recovery voice the concern that they've moved from using an addictive substance to cope, to using food to cope. And they are worried that the two are the same.

They are not.

You need one to live, and not the other. One can cause real harm, and not the other.

What is often not said aloud, is that people are worried about using food to cope because they are worried about it causing weight gain. In those cases, the problem is not using food to cope, it is the anti-fat bias we are surrounded by and internalize.

It is normal for humans to seek comfort in food. If this is your only coping mechanism, you might consider exploring others as well - not instead of, but in addition to. But it is 100% okay to keep it in your toolbox. It is not something to be pathologized.