Depression apparently 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 a possibly painful journey to a different life situation. Shrinks can often cure depression, because depression usually has causes that are changeable without taking drugs.
No doubt there are people like you that have depression and/or anxiety completely disconnected from their life situation, but I would wager that most of the people put on these drugs could cure their depression without taking them. The nature of the side effects is such that they should be avoided unless one has already tried the other, safer options.
Most people do not realize how much of an effect one's beliefs have on one's feelings. The effect is immediate and complete. Imagine that you were told by someone you trust that your closest loved one has just died. You'd immediately feel awful as a consequence. If you are later told that they are fine and it was just a joke, you'd immediately feel relieved and possibly angry at them. Very intense feelings can come from our beliefs and it takes observance of one's own mind to truly realize that and understand the implications. We actually shape our beliefs and change how we feel and behave on a moment to moment basis. Most of us do it without consciously realizing it or consciously affecting the process, just reacting. "Know thyself" The more one understands why one does something, the more one is able to alter the pattern and do something they have consciously chosen as an alternative.
My sister took antidepressants and that is when she attempted suicide. She said she just didn't care about anything anymore. She actually said that the effects of the drugs played a part leading to her suicide attempt. She said her mental state was worse than the depression, a numbness of the unwanted and the wanted emotions as well. 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.
I took Ritalin for years myself. It caused me to find class more interesting and go from Fs to mostly As and Bs, but I wonder what lasting marks it might have left on my mental wellbeing. I wish I had a control version of me to see the difference. I had to stop taking it due to consistent depression/anxiety at the same time each day. After I stopped taking it 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 had to convince myself that what I was being taught was 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. Now I think that my condition would probably give me an edge in a natural environment, focusing on things that are novel or outside of the normal pattern. People have often told me "good eye" after catching things others miss at work, but I actually have pretty poor vision, thick glasses, a lot of floaters, and other eye issues. My attention is just drawn to things that are out of the ordinary. The condition is not so good in a setting that requires me to pay attention to something that moves at a pace slower than my mind is running at the time. In that case, my mind produces more novel stimulation than my surroundings and I focus inwardly, also known as daydreaming. I catch it after it already happened.
Your life experiences have lead you to manage your condition with antidepressants. Keep doing what works the best for you. You know yourself better than I do. My life experiences have lead me to question the merit and effectiveness recommending pharmaceutical solutions for what can be seen as normal human behaviors. I have come to believe they should be a last resort. Our differing life experiences have shaped our beliefs, and thus our thoughts and feelings on this issue.