Hi Derek and welcome to iFixit Answers
Remove the macbook battery and check inside the battery compartment. At the front side of the case inside the battery compartment you should see 10 screws in the grey metal frame. To remove the top case you must unscrew #2-4-7-9 screws and put them back when reinstalling the top case. These screws function is to tighten the top case in place at the MB front side where the track pad is located. I guess these screws are missing that's why your top case is lifting when opening the lid. You can buy a complete 1181 set screws on ebay from many sellers. Check with LaptopAid. Now concerning your optical drive issue also check if the two screws retaining the drive to the MB case are installed in the wall between the optical drive and the hard disk drive. Good luck :-)
MacBook Core Duo Upper Case Replacement