I can't speak to rages except I met a man in my group who suffered from the same thing - less as a part of bipolar (which he did have) and more as a trauma reaction to childhood issues. Bipolar is an organic illness but we can also have all sorts of behavioral problems that are more like learned behavior or adaptations to trauma or other things in our pasts. I encourage you to seek therapy to help with the rage, as medication could help but therapy can help a lot more with behavior things like that. The man I met overcame his anger problem through intense therapy, not the meds he was on.

Now for the other issue - just because you are high functioning doesn't mean you can't have bipolar disorder. I often struggled with the same thought - it must no. Be that bad as I am able to keep a job! But that has nothing to do with it. I keep a job because I am a master at hiding my true feelings. I learned the craft from a young age. I have always had a lot of responsibility because of my mother's issues, and if I shirked them, it had dire consequences (such as my brother wouldn't eat because I hadn't made dinner). So even through my worst year, a year where I literally tried everything I could to kill myself without actually killing myself, I always pulled it together enough to work. Then, I experienced a remission if my symptoms for six years, which allowed me to work and go to college. I had episodes but they were mild. Last year when my symptoms worsened I still never missed a day beyond my paid time off until I was hospitalized. I hid everything from everyone, and I still do, though I don't have to work as hard at it now because my symptoms are better controlled.

I think you'll find a few people here who have never been hospitalized also, though I'm not among them.

My point is, I think, that you can't judge yourself against other people. There is an idea in this society that to be mentally ill means you are non functional. That is true of some people, but untrue of others. You can absolutely have BP 1 with psychosis as I do and still be a teacher, as I am.

I hope you find the answers you are looking for. Remember that whatever it turns out to be, a diagnosis is not a death sentence. Just another part of who you already are.