How do I file for social security disability?

I am 55 years old. I am from Wisconsin. My bad health problems started at the the of my divorce about 7 years ago. My wife emptied our bank accounts, and took everything from our house. bad health followed: high blood pressure; migranes; inflammatory bowel; major internal organ problems. my doctor documented all these problems over a 2-3 year period. he reported several times that i was unable to work, but i was fired from my state of wisconsin job. i filed a suit for illegal firing. an administrative law judge sided with me for my case to go forward. the state offered a settlement, and i accepted it. i was not in good enough health to work, so my wife and i went to the philippines to stay with her family. when i was fired for not being able to work, i called the local ss office if i could get some kind of disability. they said no, because i was not 55. i am now 55. I have not worked since being fired. what can i do now? thanks