Pros Vs. Cons

I have heard many people say that taking anti-depressants is bad for you and you shouldn't take them. All of the people that I know of that have said this haven't dealt with depression themselves. Once I listened as someone went on and on about the side effects of anti-depressants.  I couldn't help but think, yeah, BUT aren't those side effect better then depression though?

So here is a breakdown. Symptoms of depression vs. Side effects of antidepressants-

Symptoms of depression:

• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
• Fatigue and decreased energy
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness
• Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
• Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
• Irritability, restlessness
• Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex
• Overeating or appetite loss
• Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment
• Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings
• Sexual problems
• Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts
• Weight Gain
• Anxiety

Side effects of antidepressant (I'll just list one for Prozac)

• Anxiety
• Diarrhea
• Nausea (if it makes you nauseous try taking it just before bed)
• Nervousness
• Insomnia
• Headache
• Weight changes
• Decreased libido
• Decreased appetite

Funny how some of them coincide! I marked the ones that match up in red.  Unmedicated I have horrible insomnia, but I also had it while on Celexa, which is another anti-depressant. So, if you eliminate those side-effects since they come with the depression anyways, you are left with diarrhea, nausea, nervousness and headaches! Would you say that is better or worse then feeling empty and worthless, irritable, aches and pains, constantly fatigued? 

To be honest I have only experienced side effects on Prozac when coming off of it. The main ones being headaches and nausea. I also had side effects going onto Celexa and Britelix (sp?). Celexa gave me a horribly dry mouth, decreased appetite the first 2 weeks and insomnia. I've been told if you taper on or off the medication the side effects won't be as severe. 

I know the medications don't work for everyone. It took trial and error to figure out what was best for me. I've tried 4 different ones. For some essential oils for great for them or other natural remedies. I tried the oils once and they didn't work for me, along with natural supplements. However, I have found that I NEED exercise also to help!