We can only speak from our personal experiences, but for me, depression is brought on by a bleak perception of reality, based on the beliefs that support that perception. They can be based on reality. It sure will appear that way at first. Even if they are, one still can change the way one sees the situation.

I can't speak for your life experiences, but I will strongly recommend not taking SSRIs to everyone I love and everyone I meet. I think the risk that comes from not taking them is far lower than the risk that comes from taking them. I do not see it as irresponsible to be against this method of alleviating the symptoms of depression. Depression can cause one to end ones life, yes, but these drugs actually can facilitate that process.

My sister took them and that is when she attempted suicide. She said she just didn't care about anything anymore. She said it was worse than the depression. She took all of her depression meds and a bunch of Tylenol. She's fine now, without the antidepressants. Coincidentally, her life situation improved since then as well. I think there is a causal relationship between her life situation and her depression. She lived in a crappy apartment, had a crappy job, and no boyfriend. All of that has improved and now she seems happier than I do.

Depression exists to inform us that we are stuck in a rut in life that we don't prefer. It's an itch for change that is scratched by changing one's life in a way that addresses the causes of the thoughts and feelings that make one feel depressed. Denying that it is the case is tempting as it avoids the painful journey to a different life situation.

I do not want to deny or dismiss your experience, but I cannot endorse these questionable medications for the treatment of an undesirable emotional state that is usually curable without them. Shrinks can often cure depression, because depression usually has causes that are addressable without drugs.

But hey, if you truly believe they are helping you, use them. There are people that think they saved their lives. I have my doubts that they would not be able to conquer their depression without them. I do not want to tell you what to do. I just don't want people I love to be trapped in a state of depression that is only symptomaticly alleviated by drugs that harm them in other ways, even permanently. They might as well smoke marijuana. People widely self report that smoking marijuana helps with their depression and it has fewer side effects, except fines, incarceration, and the loss of access to programs of social uplift. If our aim is to mask the symptoms, why not do it if you live in a state that won't nail you to the wall? It's probably cheaper too.

I know I will get downvoted for this and I do not care. I will not endorse these harmful drugs. I do not want to attack you, but your story compels me to create an exception for those that anecdotally claim to have depression completely disconnected from their life situation. I think embracing such an exception promotes the use of harmful drugs rather than the less pleasant alternative.

I took Ritalin for years myself. It caused me to find class more interesting and go from Fs to As and Bs, but I wonder what lasting marks it might have left on my mental wellbeing. I seem to feel emotionally disconnected compared to others at times. I wish I had a control version of me to see the difference. I had to stop taking it due to consistent depression at the same time each day. After I stopped I realized that I could control my own attention and didn't need the damn drugs. I felt happier overall as well. It was much harder to pay attention without the drugs, but it was better for me in the long run. I realized I just had a mind that was prone to tuning out of things that aren't stimulating or interesting. I know the temptation to blame my condition on a set of symptoms given a name and a prescription and not try to adapt to it. Doing so did not serve me well.

Maybe antidepressants actually do help you, but most of the time I believe they are a quick fix that masks the real causes of the problem. By saying maybe people actually need them, I am encouraging people to them to take that shortcut. I won't do it.