Mania is characterized by an intense sense of well-being, vitality, and optimism—you feel on top of the world. However, these sensations might be so severe that you lose touch with reality. Manic people often make reckless decisions and can become involved in risky activities to escape from their feelings. Mania affects how a person thinks, acts, and feels. During a manic episode, someone cannot be trusted, and their behavior may be alarming or destructive. They might spend money irresponsibly, violate the law, hurt themselves or others, or even commit suicide. The more frequent and longer-lasting a person's mood episodes are, the greater the risk of mental illness. The severity of symptoms varies between individuals. While some people may experience mild changes in mood or energy level, for others, it is possible to develop full-blown mania. When this occurs, people may experience extreme changes in behavior, feelings, and thoughts. These changes can be good or bad, but either way, they are different from the normal emotions we all experience. People who experience bipolar disorder are likely to have had previous periods of depression. Although people with manic depression are at increased risk for suicide, those with only mania or only depression cannot be told from someone else's perspective whether this is a serious problem.