Hopeful-
Since you have been your own boss for fifteen years [if I am reading you correctly], have you been paying into social security during that time?

I know a lot of people who work independently don't, and then find they are not eligible for SSDI [which is based on disability] but would only be eligible for SSI [which is based on financial need]...

SSDI is generally based on previous pay [because usually if you make more you pay more into the system] and often the benefits are much greater than SSI.
There are also different restrictions in terms of if you can work, how often, how much you can make and how that affects your benefits- depending on which program you are getting benefits from.

You can try to work here and there? I would say you have a better chance of being approved and working sporadically if, indeed, your diagnosis is BP.

Technically the litmus test is if one can support oneself with their income, but often it plays out more like "if this person is doing anything productive at all they probably aren't REALLY in need of disability benefits"...

But I know that given the nature of my diagnoses [one of them being bipolar], puts the erratic nature of my employment history into a context that makes more sense and actually helps make the case that I am disabled.

Background:
I was approved for SSDI in 2004, still receiving benefits [UUUUGH].

I work sporadically but have a lot of difficulty holding a job for very long.

It's been so sporadic that my "work months" [where you have 9 non-consecutive months in a 60 month period to work and make over the max allowed] have completely reset. I was at 5 months gone by making over the limit but now it's back to zero.

Applying for disability is kind of a convoluted process- and I would look into whether you have enough work credits [have worked and paid in] in the last ten years before making any kind of decision.

ETA: Working on disability- the max is determined by amount earned, not by hours per week [in the case of SSDI]. I think the max is about 900$ right now per month.

good luck.
J