EPTbut imHo, you do not seem to have bipolar to me mainly because in your OP you do not report at all about feeling bad. You maaaay be experiencing mild manic phases, but without the depressive phase you cant really call it bi-polar. I posted the DSM guidelines so you can get a better understanding of just what bi-polar consists of. Your alcohol use heavily clouds things because at low doses it creates elation but at higher doses it is a depressant. And IF you are drinking semi-regularly it will alter your mood, making self report difficult.
Furthermore, your obsessive compulsiveness is hard to categorize under manic. Bipolar usually develops in early adolescence and during adulthood. So If you've always been a crazy obsess/compulsive kid growing up, then its not as likely that you have bipolar. Furthermore, most manic phases include a giant increase in striving to complete goals. People in manic phases feel many times more productive than usual, and come up with many more ideas. If you are suddenly starting many small projects and trying to do them all at the same time, and you seriously believe that it is possible, then you might be manic. I personally dont really think picking up a phone and calling a girl counts. or going "cold turkey" on cigs but then returning to them weeks later.
Regarding your statistics of population % with bipolar, you should explore your family medical history also. You are more at risk for depression/bipolar if you have family who have experienced it before. Girls are also more likely than guys to have this disorder (30ish% versus 15ish% iirc).
To answer your a/b questions, yes manic phases can spring up on you, but so will depressive phases. And usually when they do your friends will be able to notice the significant change. And yes, they do tend to cycle semi-regularly, but it can be anywhere from two weeks to a few months per phase.
If you really feel that you have a mood disorder, i would tentatively point you to take a look at cyclothymia instead. Bipolar is usually quite debilitating, and if you are able to hold long term employment, then usually you are quite sane.
Again, take my words with large blocks of salt. I'm not a trained professional at all. And its not like i know you at all so if any of my assumptions about you are wrong, well then go ahead and throw out the theory too.
