Meds have helped make my episodes (up and down) shorter and less severe. I haven't had a depression last more than about 3 months in several years, and I used to get depressions up to 3 YEARS long.

My ADHD/binge eating disorder definitely helps my focus and helps me to not binge, but I only wish the effects would last more than 5 hours. 5 hours of relief a day is better than zero, but the day is a lot longer than just 5 hours.

My anxiety med (clonopin) helps me do things I really don't want to do, and fear, like driving, going to work, cooking (I'm afraid of stoves), and some other things. It doesn't take the anxiety away anymore (I used to be on 5.0 mg a day, now I'm down to 1.5 at most) but it makes it tolerable.

Meds overall have helped me to be a semi-functional adult. I can say with vague pride that I'm making As in grad school and am holding down a job and have a few friends etc. I still have a tendency to think I'm a total failure and waste of flesh even when I'm not depressed, but I think that's more of a perfectionist/body image type issue.