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Dennis, I can't really answer all of your questions, but I can help with a couple of them.
When you're using the word "compulsive" in a psychiatric context... "Obsessive-compulsive disorder is defined as the presence of obsessions or compulsions that produce substantial discomfort or impairment.
Obsessions are recurrent, markedly distressing thoughts, ideas, or impulses experienced as unwanted and senseless. Compulsions are repetitive, purposeful, intentional behaviors, usually performed in response to an obsession in order to reduce the distress or prevent some dreaded event."
(Source: DSM-IV)
The implication is that it is an unhealthy, destructive, or at least socially inappropriate behavior.
This site has a lot of helpful info about bipolar disorder.
http://bipolar.about.com/cs/bpbasics/a/0210_whatisbp.htm
The term "schizophrenia" is still used, but it is a very different diagnosis from bipolar disorder (which used to be called manic-depressive disorder). Obviously I'm not a psychiatrist, but a major symptom of schizophrenia is the general breakdown in one's perception and ability to interact with the environment. The person suffering from it can't tell what's real from what isn't. They hear voices, hallucinate, etc. They tend to have real trouble in social situations because of this. | 
