I'm personally against medication because I feel people are being prescribed pills instead of being given proper treatment (i.e. seeing a shrink, etc.). The song Genedefekt comes to mind. However, in your case, I think it would be wise to try the drugs and see how it goes. If they don't work, you can always try something else. Before doing anything, read up on Lexapro as much as you can.

while i've not taken lexapro, i have experience with other stuff like Zoloft, Prozac, and Wellbutrin. after bouncing between them (dont expect the first thing you try to be a winner, everyone is different and finding the right drug takes time), my doc and i finally settled on zoloft. It takes about a week or two to get into your system, so you wont notice any immediate changes. after a week or so on the stuff, i started to notice i was less grouchy and more agreeable. so it will help lighten your mood a bit. but one very important thing to remember about these drugs: they are not, i repeat NOT a magic pill. they will not solve all problems at once. the drugs are there to help you along the way, by getting you into a state where you will be more able to make positive changes in your life. these changes are all the things people have been mentioning, like diet, exercise, socialization, etc.

for me, i jsut started doing little things like the One Hundred Pushups program and eating less sugar. i swore off soda for a long while and that alone helped my moods and energy levels. eventually i got up enough nerve to go back to school and rekindle my social life. Now im living relatively stable, and in generally good moods. partially from the pills, and partially becaue im enjoying life more now that i eat better, am more physically fit, and have a group of friends again.

as for having reservations about this stuff, those feelings are well founded. this stuff will fuck with your system, in fact thats the whole point of it. i wont say you get used to it, becuase im still not after a year of being on anti-depressants. but i can say that they have definitely helped. i can still remember feeling just a little different, a little happier, more able, after jsut takign the pills. so while you may not be comfortable with them, they are still worth a shot.

oh and another thing, once you do go on them (its a gradual process), take great care to not suddenly go off them. this is stuff you have to be weened on and off. if you do end up with a sudden lack of dosage, then you can start spiraling inward and it isnt pretty, i knwo this from experience. so jsut take care to get the prescriptions refilled before you run out of your current batch.

One other thing dude:  I see you're from San Clemente;  get your butt down to San O's and start surfing.  Best thing in the universe for depression.