I was on various medications off and on over 6 years. I needed them before that but they helped immensely once I had them. However, I've found that they're unn

I was on various medications off and on over 6 years. I needed them before that but they helped immensely once I had them. However, I've found that they're unnecessary and even detrimental long term, if you can tackle the underlying reason behind the depression (the side effects can be huge). For me, it was a lifestyle change that involved better diet and exercise (like everyone recommends), as well as associating myself with people that I enjoyed being around and who encouraged me to be better and disassociating myself from people who brought me down. The most important piece, however, was that I was able to fundamentally change my thoughts and perspective on life. Instead of telling myself "I'm a failure" I tell myself "I found one way that doesn't work." Instead of "I hate myself" it's "how can I make myself better?" Instead of "they don't actually like me" it's "I don't care, because I don't need everyone's acceptance to be content." I was able to do this mainly through reading various mindfulness books but most importantly Stoic philosophy. "A Guide to the Good Life" was fundamental. The rest came through general maturity through life experience, accepting the world the way it is and coming to terms with it, as well as using that knowledge to get what I want from it. A combination of these things, plus finally becoming financially independent and moving to a place that suits me better, has led me to believe that for me antidepressants are a temporary tool to help you learn to manage depression. There may be a chance that I need them again in the future but I feel very secure where I am now, and more confident and happy than I have ever been in my life previously. What has led me to believe that the same also holds true for most people is that I've known many other depressed and medicated people before in my life. What I find in almost all of them (who remain depressed and medicated) is that they view the medication AS the fix, instead of the tool that helps you find it. They accept that the medication will bring them enough contentment to live out the rest of their life. Because of this, they never try to change it. They're living the same life they were, except now they aren't as miserable. Maybe it was a good thing that the side effects were too much for me but I wasn't able to live that way, they forced me to find a way to improve my situation. I believe that many people just haven't been able to find the right ways to change their life to live without medication. Of course, this doesn't apply to the ones that can't fix their situation for whatever reason, but the reality is that a lot of people are being medicated, and most of them do have the power to change their lives to render medication unnecessary.