I resisted taking meds for years and years, and after my son died, I finally relented. Now that I have been on them a few years, I can hardly tell I'm on them. I think they interfere mostly with my concentration, but that could also be me dissociating more, as my life stress has been increasing lately.

The main reason most people resist or don't like taking meds, is because they are afraid of long-term efffects, and unwanted side effects, mainly decreasing your libido.

One main reason why I resisted, is because of stigma (brought on by my mother and society) and I was also concerned about long-term effects. However, now that doesn't matter to me much now, becuase I know I would not be here without them. I was in very bad shape when I started taking them, and I could tell I wasn't going to pull out of it for a long time, if at all. I also have bipolar disorder, so that factors in to my situation as well.

You might try googling "taking antidepressants" and read a few different results. The more you know and understand, the better informed choice you can make and not feel so anxious about it.

I have taken meds but they put me on so much and try to control something they can't :-/ I was on Prozac

You could always tell them you think the dose might be too high because of how bad your side effects are. And ask if you could lower your dose or try a different med. There are lots of different antidepressants, and even different kinds that work differently with your brain chemistry.

Most of the time, it takes a couple of weeks or more (4-6) before you really can tell how well it's working. But if the side effects or intollerable, you are not expected to continue taking them.

I have only used herbal St. John's Wort for depression and sleep interruption. It has worked for me.