I think that you are at least willing to consider meds is a very, very good thing.

Keep in mind that there is an inherent bias in what you read about meds on the internet -- the people most likely to write about them have had a negative experience. People who respond well? You don't hear from them as much because they are too busy living their lives again.

I have been helped by SSRI in the past, enormously in fact. I am just now getting out of my 4th lifetime episode, with the help of Effexor XR (this is my second time on it...I happened to wean from it the first time, over 10 years ago, without any problems) and Seroquel. I'm not quite where I want to be, but I am doing a lot better.

So...all that to say, try to keep an open mind. Also, who is prescribing your meds? Personally I think that anyone who has had multiple bouts of depression/anxiety is best served by a psychiatrist as opposed to a family dr/gp. And don't forget, it is very, very normal to have to tweak med dosages and do switches along the way. A psychiatrist is the best person to do this.