My point is that, if you don't want to spend years pursuing SSDI, you can speed things up - a lot, as I did - by cutting to the chase. Why can't you work? Not "What is your diagnosis and symptoms?" But "how do your symptoms affect your job performance?"

leejosepho, you had your initial application denied . . . and then you had a first appeal denied. That's how you ended up in front of an administrative judge. The SSA was wanting to know more than your diagnosis and symptoms. They denied you until you established that your symptoms incapacitated you from working.