Title: I realize this is somewhat of a taboo topic but I feel like if there is anywhere we can have a real discussion on mental health it&#x27;s going to be HN.<p>I have been struggling with depression for as long as I can remember.<p>Life has taken me on ups and downs but as far as I can can tell I&#x27;m fairly lucky, well-off and have every reason to be happy.<p>Unfortunately I&#x27;m not.<p>I wake up with a pit in my stomach that I carry around all day and no matter how hard I try I just can&#x27;t shake it.<p>It also gets really bad in waves to the point where I nearly can&#x27;t function but most of all it makes me procrastinate on almost everything.<p>I usually end up using all my effort just to be a functional member of my team at work.<p>The sad part is that I know that if I didn&#x27;t have this condition and I was able to sleep when I wanted to I could be many times more productive, not only at work but also in life.<p>The obvious solution to these problems are SSRIs and other anti-depressants. These drugs are very powerful but have really bad side-effects for most people that take them.<p>For these reasons I am completely shit-scared of them. I see them as my option of last resort but increasingly I feel my options running out.<p>I have tried therapy, I have tried all sorts of coping mechanisms but nothing solves the problem permanently.<p>So HN, what has your experience been with depression? Have you tried the drugs? What worked or didn&#x27;t?
Have you been able to triumph without chemical assistance and what did that look like?
Is my utter terror of these drugs warranted or should I just bite the bullet and try them?
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