Door lock stuck! Please help!!!

[DavieGravy]

My driver's side door lock is stuck in the unlock position, meaning I can't lock my car! Not from putting the key in or pushing the lock down manually. Does anyone know why this might be? I took the interior panel off, briefly, and didn't see anything. Could this be the actuator (lock motor)? I just padded my locks and I might have put excessive stress on the motor.

Also, every time I start my car, it turns over really slowly meaning that my battery doesn't seem to be charging. To me, this means that the actuator could be running constantly, trying to pull the lock down when the car is turned off hence it's running down the battery.

Either that, or my alternator, or the battery itself, is about to fly the coot. When my car is idle at a stop light or whatever, the dash lights dim, then brighten when I take off and rev the engine. Also, the steering wheel shakes when I make sharp turns. Can this car run on a dead battery, or is this a sign of alternator failure, or could the lock motor be draining the battery faster than it's charging?

I would be ecstatic over any help.