Potomania is a psychiatric disorder characterized by an irrepressible need to drink water. While the daily recommandation is of 1 to 2 L, we talk about potomania as soon as the consumption exceeds 4 L per day. Some patients go as far as drinking ten litres of water, or more per day.

What are the risks?

Potomania is often liked to an eating disorder.
This disease can be fatal, as the body is unable to assimilate an inadequate amount of fluid.

According to specialists:

Potomania has potentially serious and even fatal consequences for the body. Indeed, excess water dilutes too much of the salt naturally contained in the body and causes a sodium deficit in the blood (this is hyponatremia). Paradoxically, excessive water in the body can cause dehydration in the cells, which unable the restoration the natremia (the level of sodium in the blood). This sodium deficiency can even cause cerebral edema with serious neurological consequences that can lead to coma and death.

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How to be treated?

Potomania is considered as an addiction. Depending on the severity and difficulty of the patient’s condition, hospitalization for withdrawal may be recommended.

If the person is not hospitalized (or after hospitalization), cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT) is recommended.  That kind of therapy helps to identify the patient’s habits and helps them to correct them.

For this reason, the feeleat application is a reliable work tool, which makes it possible to note the contexts of pathological behaviors, to identify the symptoms and moments that cause difficulties, to become aware of them and to be able to correct them. This information can be shared with the medical team.

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