I did my best at trying to work until at least 62, but I was only 60 when I told my boss I just could not do it any more. My physical troubles were chronic back pain and puckered retinas disturbing my vision, and those greatly aggravated my ever-increasing issues of stress, anxiety and depression.

I made my initial application for SSDI in an interview setting at the local SSA office, then went online and added a disability statement of my own. Looking back, I would guess there must be a better (more thorough) way to get an application rolling. Maybe through a doctor would make sense, but the doctors I had asked had told me they do not do that.

After my case had been opened, some appointments were made for evaluations...and I was ultimately told I did not qualify. I have heard most people get turned down and must make an appeal (through an attorney who ultimately gets a significant percentage of the initial payout) and where some additional information (something new) is needed for trying again. The attorney I had talked with had told me I had no chance of being granted SSDI, but then he told me to make a request for an appeal date after I had been hospitalized in a medical ICU for a few days. Even after that he still told me I had no chance, but we proceeded anyway...and it turned out that a substitute judge my attorney had never before met granted my request right there at my appeal hearing.

My point: Each case is different and considered on its own merit while possibly also being subject to the mood, temperament and/or leanings of the judge who makes the determination. My judge was very thorough in being certain everything she did was done properly and with precision as far as all rules and regulations were concerned, and then she turned to me for some question-and-answer conversation while observing my attorney's skepticism alongside my having been able to provide some additional answers and documentation I had brought along even though my attorney had previously said those would not be needed since the judge would likely not even look at them. And so, keep in mind that attorneys are typically just high-priced clerks (actually working for the court so you cannot later say you did not get a fair hearing) and you are the one responsible for being certain the judge sees and hears everything you want considered.