With clumsy hands, I hastily put together a note for my mother.
'I noted down, "There is something severely amiss."'
I felt mentally hazy. My stomach was swollen. My heartbeat raced. Yet, I couldn’t fathom the reason.
For several weeks, indications were mounting that something was amiss with my condition. I experienced a continuous headache which I dismissed as such. stress , a sense of lethargy in my muscles, and an intense fatigue that sleep failed to alleviate.
Still, I considered, if I committed even more strongly to ‘healthy’ habits if I continued doing the 'correct' things – improving myself sleep , eating nutritious food, exercising each day, and most importantly, keeping myself hydrated – I would improve my well-being.
I used to live by the principle that if a small amount was beneficial, then a larger quantity would surely be even better. However, as I consumed more water, my condition worsened.
Later, on a Monday evening in April 2025, I experienced a severe bout of queasiness and lightheadedness, akin to wading through thick mud. The thought of standing made me worry about passing out, which led me to urgently message my mother and dial 111.
My speech was unclear, and I found it hard to focus my mind as I described my condition. I was told to go to the hospital right away.
In less than an hour, my mom had us both on our way, and although I was scared, what puzzled me most was why this was happening.
I didn’t drink alcohol , consistently consumed my fruits and vegetables daily and participated in routine Pilates lessons. And, naturally, I was easily devouring at least eight litres of water a day.
Why did I feel as though my body was grinding to a halt?
As the paramedic on duty stated, I was essentially drowning inside. In other words, I had water intoxication .
Is it possible to consume excess water?
Commonly referred to as water poisoning or hyponatremia, water intoxication occurs when an excess of water intake leads to an imbalance in your body’s electrolytes.
This reduces the sodium concentration in your bloodstream and may lead to a harmful chemical imbalance, causing your cells to expand, even those within your brain.
If left unaddressed, it may lead to confusion. seizures , comma, and in severe instances, death .
Even though I was lucky enough for it to be detected promptly and could return home that very evening, I still felt a sense of embarrassment, shame, and an odd guilt.
I believed I was looking after myself, but in truth, by pursuing 'health' and well-being, I had driven my body to its limits. If I had been aware of or familiar with this condition earlier, maybe I would have reconsidered increasing my water consumption.
Still, I am not an exception.
Since the discussion constantly revolves around de hydratation - with the concern being that we’re not drinking enough – we seldom hear about, nor do people ever caution you, how consuming excessive amounts of alcohol can be equally dangerous.
What's truly frightening is the excessive encouragement of overhydration promoted online. Influencers flaunt the number of liters they've consumed by midday, and large water bottles have turned into symbols of pride almost like badges.
I've come across 'water cult' pages that promote drinking as much as 10 liters a day for improved skin, energy, and digestion. However, in reality, ingesting such an amount can be lethal.
There needs to be improved public communication, and influencers along with 'health experts' should be accountable for the advice they provide.
And those viral drinking challenges They need to halt. It's important for people to understand that quenching their thirst through drinking is sufficient, and exceeding that limit isn't a sign of toughness; rather, it poses risks.
Having more isn't necessarily an improvement. Our bodies function as a fragile, intricately balanced system, and inundating it—even with something as apparently innocuous as water—can lead to genuine, permanent harm.
Reflecting on the past, I understand now that my consumption of water wasn't driven by thirst; instead, it was about exertion of control and adhering to routines. It felt like following every rule meticulously would lead me to happiness and well-being.
That way of thinking might have caused me to lose everything.
From what I've learned, true self-care doesn't involve blindly following fads. It's not about pushing yourself to extremes out of fear that you're not doing sufficiently enough.
It's all about truly listening—really paying attention—to what your body needs and having faith in it.
These days, I follow the advice of drinking eight glasses. That works well for me.
Would you like to share a story? Reach out via email for more details. jess.austin@.co.uk .
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