I took them for about a year as part of my own recovery.
I was working hard with a therapist, she encouraged their use and encouraged me to be without them later.
For me it actually allowed me to get over the hump of feeling bad and actually allowed me to sink deeper into myself and in my case allow me to deal with the underlying anxiety that I had been living with for so long. I had to get through that depression layer to get at what was driving the depression.
With the nuttiness of the last year I have talked with her again about anti-depressants and we have a deal, that she will let me know if she is concerned and I will do the same. My MD is on board with that and it works for me.
Just an FYI. I found out I was very Vit D deficient when everything was hitting the fan. Being low can put you at higher risk for depression and I think finding that out and getting treatment for it was really helpful. That is part of why I make sure my therapist and MD are working in conjunction for my wellbeing.