First let me say that I have no problem with the pople who feel that AD's are not their way to deal with depression. If therapy works for you, great! I would have continued with that if I thought it was helping me at all with my depression and anxiety. It didn't, and here is a short description of the rest.
I have been on a series of antidepressants since i have been 18. With the exception of the ones that I am on now, I have never gotten better than nose-above-the-surface- of -the-water. I thought that was as good as it got. I have had side effects that would raise the hair on folk's heads, I have had disappointments, and yes, I definitely believe I have had placebo effcts, but when I started the med combination I am on now, the constant jibbering in my head stopped for the first time in my life. For the first time in my life I am not afraid all the time, and for the first time I can shrug at minor mistakes and go on with life. I NEVER expected that medications would get me this far. I didn't realize until later that Effexor also dealt with anxiety. So something is working, and I preferr to stay with it. For the first time, I feel like a funtioning, adult human being. So, yeah, NF, I'm with you. There is something else going on, at least for a lot of us BPs.
For the rest, yeah, placebo effects are very strong, but they happen with therapy also, and knowing when that ends is not always clear either. We have a huge capacity to heal ourselves given the right conditions. Still I would not hesitate to suggest medications for depression if I thought it was necessary. Huggs all, and take care of your selves!