One question, especially for the Canadians out there. From your experiences, how eager are therapists/doctors to prescribe anti-depressants? I'm guessing that with incentives from big-pharma reps they will dispense them more often than not? On top of that, given the potential side effects, I don't feel like taking happy pills anytime soon even if I do feel like total crap. After all, anti-depressants can make you more suicidal right? The irony really kills (pun intended). The reason I'm bringing this up is that my parents, egged on by my grandma, are entertaining the thought of taking me to see someone as a 'preventative' measure. Unfortunately they seem to believe popping pills (even for good measure if you aren't sick) is the fastest way to recovery or something...

If you go to a psychiatrist, then chances are that they will try to put you on medication. If, on the other hand, you go to a therapist, unless they are also a M.D., they won't be prescribing you medication since they can't. For the last five years, I've been seeing a therapist and we've never once even mentioned medications.

it is unlikely that you will find a psychologist or therapist that is willing to prescribe therapy alone. first, you need to take the pill that promises a better life. it probably won't work, so you'll have to spend years bouncing back and forth until your brain is so screwed up that you can't remember what you felt like before. when you're sufficiently brainwashed into thinking it's working, then you can begin therapy to correct your attitude so that you are a more efficient citizen and a better contributory to the government agenda.

or, you could just grow some balls and figure out what you're depressed about, and change it instead of relying on the world to offer you a better opportunity. because it's not there. loneliness is the human condition and we all have to deal with it.

Don't buy into their prescriptions...My mind is being exploited by my doctor so he can get some extra money. These pills don't even fix my depression they remove most of emotions. My doctor didn't even try and get to know what my mind is like and he put me on medication that is zombifying me. In ways Doctors are similar to pill pushers and if you think about it a lot of their income comes from their ability to get people addicted to pills.
They don't even listen to my want to get off of them and my doctor tells me things like "Oh it's probably not working right yet. You need to increase the dose." So I try that and it makes me more fucked up.
The pills have neutralized my brain and opinions and have stolen away my creativity. It sometimes feels like it has brainwashed me into giving up my strong views on life and has turned me into an apathetic and obedient citizen. The prescription drug industry is a corrupt business on doctor's half and I highly doubt they look back and wonder if they've done any harm.

If things continue as they are we'll be left with a lot of youth who are similar to the kids described in this song (in the whole album).

Brainwashed, apathetic, angsty kids who question their personality and emptiness.

Thanks alot for the heads up guys. I guess it's as I feared. But on the other hand, it has given me more motivation to 'bounce back'. Guess I can't afford to stay down too long. Tbh, I think it's mostly the fear-mongering that my grandma is instilling in my parents... they were pretty understanding for the while that I was down after my mentor passed away. I'm definitely gonna try talking to them and presenting the research I dug up against the meet-a-drug-pusher and pop-the-pill route.

i'm pretty skeptical of doctors and the medical industry. if you do see a psychiatrist he will prescribe you drugs since that's what his job is. you will be on these drugs for years. you'll be given these drugs within twenty minutes of meeting this doctor for the first time. if those don't have the results he is looking for then it's more drugs or different drugs. i suggest a therapist or a psychologist first so you can come to your own conclusions about meds. though i also think that if you happen to be suicidal seeing a psychiatrist is the way to go for now.
after seeing my brother be a guinea pig for psychiatrists through his childhood only to be given up to the state in the end i know the evils of being misdiagnosed and over medicated. but also seeing my mother refuse she even had a problem when anyone who was around her for more then ten minutes knew she was a nut i can see the evils of denying a problem exists in the first place.

Thanks for all your help guys. Think I've dodged the bullet for now. Starting to steadily recover too.