To me, a recommendation for anti depressants does not mean that they are THE answer. They just might be something that helps.

I think most people go on them with the idea of trying them but not making them a lifelong effect. To check whether the side effects are bearable. To see whether they can help.

About 15 years ago, I tried some version of an SSRI during a period where I was in very intense individual and group trauma focused psychotherapy. I stayed on them for about a year, taping up and down very slowly (I was very concerned about side effects, so my psychiatrist started me out slowly and moved up the dosage very slowly too).

I would not say that it made me happy. What it did do was make my therapy a lot less painful, and I was more productive in therapy and I was more functional in daily life because I didn't feel like I was getting hit with a hammer all the time. So I found using AD's was useful for a short time, both therapeutically and in my mood. Although I sometimes have depression symptoms return, they are at a level where they are manageable with therapy and my own coping skills.

Unless you are opposed to the idea of AD's-- which I think is a reasonable position, as they have a pretty high incidence of side effects and there is something to be said for using alternative forms of treatment, including therapy alone-- you might want to simply try them for a few months to see if they might be useful to you.