For a young person, getting either SSDI or SSI has the exact same requirement in terms of disability. The evaluation of your disability is done by the exact same people using the same criteria. You have to be too disabled to have any ability of holding down a job that would provide an income above a certain threshold. The threshold is $1070 per month. They have to see that you did everything possible to make yourself fit to work. That means that you got treated for whatever was your disability and, still, were unable to work. They consider psychological problems like anxiety and depression to be medical illnesses that often respond well to medication. They figure that, if you never took any medication for either anxiety or depression, then how do you know that those meds might not make you able to cope with work? Also, they know that no doctor in the country is going to say you can't cope with work and not even want to try you on a medication. So they are looking at it as that you haven't made a serious attempt at medically treating your psychiatric illness. I'm not saying you should take pills . . . just saying that's how they look at it.

When I was talking to lawyers, each one wanted to know what meds I was on. They did seem to base my chances of getting approved on how many meds I was taking. They also all wanted to know if there was any doctor who supported my decision to seek disability. I told them that it was my doctor who suggested it to me, before I even really decided to do it. They really liked that.

The difference between SSI and SSDI is that you only get SSI if you are really poor. (For SSDI, it doesn't matter if you are homeless or a billionaire.) For SSI, being poor means having very little income (roughly less than $721 per month, after they adjust for some things) and having very little of value that you could sell to support yourself. How the government looks at help you are getting from other people is a bit complicated. If someone is giving you money that you can spend anyway that you want, that is considered "income." If someone is paying your medical bills for you, that is not considered income. If you are living with a spouse, the government considers part of your spouse's income as yours. It is "deemed income." If you are a child, then some part of your parents' income is considered "deemed income" to you. (since parents have an obligation to support their underage kids.)

However, if you are an adult living with family or friends who do not have a legal obligation to support you, then it gets complicated. If you are an adult, living rent-free with your parents, then that is considered a form of income. If they provide you with free food, that is considered a form of income ("in-kind" income.) Here is a link explaining that: What Counts as Income for the SSI Disability Limit? | Disability Secrets Here's a portion of the article:

"Any type of free rent/shelter or food benefits you are receiving from a nongovernmental source. For example, if you are allowed to live rent free with a friend or your parents, this will be considered as income (this is called "in-kind" income because it isn't actually income, but it is essentially equal to earning the amount of money you would otherwise have to pay for the food, rent, and life necessities being provided to you."

Now, if people are helping you out, but considering it a loan and you have documentation that you borrowed that money, then that help is not considered income. This is where a lawyer can possibly be of help, in that there may be ways to structure the help you get from family, to avoid having it called income.

People you know who are on SSI and not taking medication probably did take meds in the past without success.