I have been on medications since 1998 and they definitely helped me.  At that time I was suicidal and was not living my life, I was hiding from people and all social events.  Waking up was the last thing I wanted to do.  To get out of bed and eat a bit of food could be the highlight of my days for me.  But with medication and cognitive behaviour therapy I started experiencing life and my depression was not so great.  I even enjoyed my life at times and started doing things I had not done in many years and things I thought I would never be able to do.  So I am not saying medications are not the way to go.