--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Alcohol units: 5. Drowning sorrows…" description: "\"“Alcohol units: 5. Drowning sorrows. Cigarettes: 23. Fumigating sorrows. Calories: 3,856. Smothering sorrows in fat duvet.”\" — Helen Fielding" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/helen-fielding-2564_drowning-sorrows_alcohol-units-5-drowning-sorrows-cigaret_1424106.png" --- # Alcohol units: 5. Drowning sorrows. Cigarettes: 23… ![“Alcohol units: 5. Drowning sorrows. Cigarettes: 23. Fumigating sorrows. Calories: 3,856. Smothering sorrows in fat duvet.” quote by Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/helen-fielding-2564_drowning-sorrows_alcohol-units-5-drowning-sorrows-cigaret_1424106.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/helen-fielding-2564_drowning-sorrows_alcohol-units-5-drowning-sorrows-cigaret_1424106.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/helen-fielding-2564_drowning-sorrows_alcohol-units-5-drowning-sorrows-cigaret_1424106.png) > ““Alcohol units: 5. Drowning sorrows. Cigarettes: 23. Fumigating sorrows. Calories: 3,856. Smothering sorrows in fat duvet.”” [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A humorous tally of coping mechanisms—alcohol, smoking, food—illustrates how people mask emotional pain with various habits. **In simple terms:** People use habits to hide sorrows. Key Takeaway Recognize and address underlying emotions. Themes coping humor addiction self‑care Mood wry satirical Type personal observational When to use this quote - stressful workday - lonely evenings - celebrations - breakups Key Concepts psychology social commentary Questions to Reflect On - What habit do you use to soothe pain? - How might you replace a harmful habit with a healthier one? A Different Perspective Humor can downplay serious issues, preventing help‑seeking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drowning Sorrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drowning-sorrows-3572782/) [Fumigating Sorrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fumigating-sorrows-5052011/) [Sorrows Calories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrows-calories-5052009/) [Sorrows Cigarettes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrows-cigarettes-5052012/) [Sorrows Fat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrows-fat-5052010/) ## Related quotes > [Structural linguistics is a bitterly divided and unhappy profession, and a large number of its practitioners spend many nights drowning their sorrows in Ouisghian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/structural-linguistics-is-a-bitterly-divided-and-unhappy-profession/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Bethany and I often hook up like this. She texts me at the height of her boredom, unable to sleep, and since it's past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-fletcher/bethany-and-i-often-hook-up-like-this-she-texts-me-at-the-height-of/) [Penelope Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-fletcher/) > [In my dream, I was drowning my sorrows But my sorrows they learned to swim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bono/in-my-dream-i-was-drowning-my-sorrows-but-my-sorrows-they-learned-to/) [Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bono/) > [“Some classify it as masking the pain, or drowning your sorrows. I prefer to think of it as baptizing your inner demons in alcohol”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/some-classify-it-as-masking-the-pain-or-drowning-your-sorrows-i/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [I was drowning in my sorrows, but my sorrows they learned to swim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/u2/i-was-drowning-in-my-sorrows-but-my-sorrows-they-learned-to-swim/) [U2](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/u2/) ## More by Helen Fielding > [“I will not fall for any of the following: alcoholics, workaholics, commitment phobics, people with girlfriends or wives, misogynists, megalomanics, chauvists, emotional fuckwits or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/i-will-not-fall-for-any-of-the-following-alcoholics-workaholics/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [“barometer of success in later life is not that they always win, but how they deal with failure. An ability to pick themselves up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/barometer-of-success-in-later-life-is-not-that-they-always-win-but/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [“One has to be in control, otherwise the whole dynamic becomes a total disaster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/one-has-to-be-in-control-otherwise-the-whole-dynamic-becomes-a-total/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [“it’s a bit like if we were on a planet where all the space creatures were short, green and fat. Except a very few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/it-s-a-bit-like-if-we-were-on-a-planet-where-all-the-space-creatures/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [If we can't have comedy books written about aspects of womanhood without going into a panic attack about it, then we haven't got very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/if-we-can-t-have-comedy-books-written-about-aspects-of-womanhood/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [Though with Bridget Jones's Baby: the Diaries, I'd like to make it clear that I did not ever get pregnant by two men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/though-with-bridget-jones-s-baby-the-diaries-i-d-like-to-make-it/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [ I'd always hoped to write the story as a novel, but there was a long period when the \[Bridget Jones's Baby: The Diaries\] movie… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/i-d-always-hoped-to-write-the-story-as-a-novel-but-there-was-a-long/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [“Resolution number one: Obviously will lose twenty pounds. Number two: Always put last night's panties in the laundry basket. Equally important, will find sensible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/resolution-number-one-obviously-will-lose-twenty-pounds-number-two/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [ With most of the events in the books \[ Bridget Jones Diaries \] I draw a little bit from my own life and some… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/with-most-of-the-events-in-the-books-bridget-jones-diaries-i-draw-a/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [“Bet I will become known as brilliant cook and hostess”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/bet-i-will-become-known-as-brilliant-cook-and-hostess/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [I always market research my books before I hand them in by showing them to five or six close friends who I trust to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/i-always-market-research-my-books-before-i-hand-them-in-by-showing/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [“It’s no good. When someone leaves you, apart from missing them, apart from the fact that the whole little world you’ve created together collapses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/it-s-no-good-when-someone-leaves-you-apart-from-missing-them-apart/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [Of course the chronology of the books is a bit back- to - front, and books usually come out before movies. But happily, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/of-course-the-chronology-of-the-books-is-a-bit-back-to-front-and/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [“The worst is the thought that they tried you out and, in the end , the whole sum of parts which adds up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/the-worst-is-the-thought-that-they-tried-you-out-and-in-the-end-the/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [Nobody wants to be racist and I think that most people aren't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/nobody-wants-to-be-racist-and-i-think-that-most-people-aren-t/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) [Explore all 158 Helen Fielding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) ## More Drowning Sorrows quotes > [Structural linguistics is a bitterly divided and unhappy profession, and a large number of its practitioners spend many nights drowning their sorrows in Ouisghian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/structural-linguistics-is-a-bitterly-divided-and-unhappy-profession/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Bethany and I often hook up like this. She texts me at the height of her boredom, unable to sleep, and since it's past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-fletcher/bethany-and-i-often-hook-up-like-this-she-texts-me-at-the-height-of/) [Penelope Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-fletcher/) > [In my dream, I was drowning my sorrows But my sorrows they learned to swim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bono/in-my-dream-i-was-drowning-my-sorrows-but-my-sorrows-they-learned-to/) [Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bono/) > [“Some classify it as masking the pain, or drowning your sorrows. I prefer to think of it as baptizing your inner demons in alcohol”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/some-classify-it-as-masking-the-pain-or-drowning-your-sorrows-i/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [I was drowning in my sorrows, but my sorrows they learned to swim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/u2/i-was-drowning-in-my-sorrows-but-my-sorrows-they-learned-to-swim/) [U2](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/u2/) [Browse all 6 Drowning Sorrows quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drowning-sorrows-3572782/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Alcohol units: 5. Drowning sorrows. Cigarettes: 23. Fumigating sorrows. Calories: 3,856. 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