So, here's my overall experience. Obviously, take from it what you will:

I applied for SSDI and SSI when I was 22 on the basis of a myriad of physical health issues.
I did not use a lawyer at this time. I was advised, pretty much across the board, that it is basically a waste to take on a lawyer for initial application, and I agreed. I still agree.

At that point, they really CAN'T do anything that you, or a friend or loved one, or a free advocacy service could do for you. It would be a waste of your money should you win- and most legitimate and relatively honorable disability lawyers won't actually agree to take on disability applications at the initial stage.

As of now I have been involved in assisting and advising in several applications and in most cases I actually would consider a lawyer a bit sketchy if they would agree to take on a case in the initial application stage.

So...
after receiving the huge amount of files and records from my various doctors, not including my psychiatrist, but including my psychologist, the SSA requested a psych eval done by them.

I agreed to the psych eval. However, I knew that I had a right to have it done by my psychiatrist, as long as he agreed to be paid the fee from SSA. SO I called them and told them I would have him do it instead. Unless this has changed very recently, as far as i know this is still the case: If you are requested to have an exam- medical or psychiatric- by an SSA doctor, you can request to have the same exam performed by your own doctor if they have the same qualifications and if they agree to the fee paid out by the SSA. It makes sense because they have been seeing you, can understand your responses and results in context, etc etc.

Something pretty important that came from this exam:
There is a question that asks something like "Do you feel the claimant will ever be capable of complete self-support?"

My doctor answered no.
While that is kind of a crappy thing to read, I'm pretty sure it was a fairly integral piece to the determination of my case.

It took six months for them to determine my case as approved.
I only had the initial application, never had a lawyer and I'm pretty sure the weight is on the mental health issues.

I've been on disability since the end of 2004. I've tried numerous times to have and keep a job, been in and out of school.

I have had two reviews- both of these I found out occurred after the fact. I got a letter telling me that my case had been reviewed and it had been determined I am still disabled.

So that's running about every five years they are reviewing my case. Which means right out of the gate i was put in somewhere in the "permanent impairment" area.

I don't like that. It's not a good time. I have to say after almost ten years of this crap it kind of wears on a person. But as more time goes by and my body deteriorates I kind of wonder if my doctor was right.

ANYWAY- I still stand by the whole "Don't waste money on a lawyer right away" thing. You will need that money and you will miss it. Save it because you might not need it. Be methodical and thorough.

I went in for a face to face initial interview.
I found some one to help me, I printed the questions out and answered them with someone, who typed them up and made a physical copy of the application, submitted it twice by certified mail.

There are advocacy organizations that are free or extremely low cost [extremely low- way way lower than any lawyer]- sometimes through hospitals you have been to, or your doctor office may help refer you- that might be able to help.