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Not true. The various classes of antidepressants can correct neurochemical imbalances, which is correcting the root cause, by definition. They DO NOT cover up symptoms; that is a profound misconception on your part. Many patients wish they did. There is no euphoric effect: no activation of pleasure centers in the brain. The two to three week delay in onset of therapeutic effect is consistent with the time required to balance the neurochemistry. An agent which could be seen as "covering up symptoms", say alcohol or cocaine, takes effect immediately. Not all depressed patients will be helped by a particular class of AD because not all have the associated imbalance problem to begin with. Some have no chemical problem at all and the condition is a matter of situational factors or health issues outside of the CNS. Those patients would be particularly ill-advised to self-dose. The AD will not make them "happier". My graduate work was in the areas of neuropsychology and neurochemistry.

Thank you for the enlightenment. I do know some who have been damaged by antidepressants, used exactly as the doctor prescribed. Side effects too often are not good.