Indeed. We are left with half-ass/horrible solutions such as SSRI's, mood stabilizers, anti-psychotics, many of which require a person to stay on them the rest of their lives.
I took an SSRI to treat depression a few years back. I felt a bit flat-lined. It lessened my sadness, but in the process reduced my range of emotion to a degree that made me feel less human.
I used to be incredibly opposed to anyone using these anti-depressants, as I feel they suppress emotions which can be helpful to a person's growth. I'm no longer as vehemently opposed to a person using them, as they may be a better solution than remaining horribly depressed.
Yet, I can't help but wonder what would happen if the doors were opened to substances such as Ketamine, MDMA, LSD, Psilopsybin, and many others. It's a shame that we've restricted the options to treating this debilatating illness.
That's the thing and the current drugs do work but they don't offer long term solutions. The other sad part of the equation is that psychotherapy has pretty much been replaced by medication. I had to be on a waiting list for years to get it and could only get it for a year before the psychotherapist retired - we just don't have enough!
I agree with you, @colinhoward. SSRIs and other antidepressants work for some, but not all. I hope we'll see more effective options in the future, possibly even including psychedelics (or non-psychoactive analogues). It seems that psychotherapy used in conjunction with novel pharmacological agents will probably yield the most promising outcomes.