I applied online and was approved in 3 months. Same as my boyfriend. (We are both bipolar 1 with occasional psychotic episodes, rapid cycling). I've not had a "functional assessment" but it sounds like they want to know more about your day-to-day living in terms of functioning with your illness. When I applied for SSDI, I filled out the daily functioning part of
the application, of course. The questions were yes/no type....for example, can you prepare meals? My answer: yes AND no because it depends (to this day) on my mood state. I explained when manic I had no appetite at all. Forgot about food unless reminded. If depressed, I often would not care or have the energy to eat. When stable, my appetite was relatively normal. Not sure if I'm making sense but I hope it helps. Keep us posted. xoxo