I’ve been on four anti-depressants, the first one (Paxil) helped, but for a short time, it was probably placebo effect to be honest. Celexa did the most, it gave me ten minutes of calm, and then a day of severe nausea. I’ve been through cold-turkey SSRI withdrawal twice, the most intense periods of brain shocks (not painful, just annoying) put me close to the floor. After withdrawal, when I got drunk or high socially, brain shocks would return; but the sensations left after consistently working out.
I was also on Klonopin, first 1 mg a day then still feeling anxiety, I raised it to 2 mg. In a sense I started feeling like I was a weird kind of drunk all the time, getting words mixed up, and my mind felt like a waterfall was running over it; I think the drug permanently made me more extroverted, not necessarily a good or bad thing. I tapered off of this stuff, might’ve had a first time seizure or died otherwise.
I’d rather that people weren’t taking medication unless they really need it. Then I lean towards meditative living and fitness as normal. I am happily not on medication now and I haven’t been on anything since late 2009.