Are they meant to only be taken by those who are clinically depressed (ie Chemical imbalance in their brain), or those who are just having a shit of a time (or both)?
Antidepressants are for endogenous depression. (Chemical imbalance.) They really aren’t supposed to be used to treat exogenous or reactive depression (i.e., your girlfriend breaks up with you.) They’re more of a long term treatment.
Although girlfriend breaking up with you can trigger borderline personallity disorder, or other forms of depression. Then they put you on meds.
A lot of antidepressants are used to treat other things - migraines, for example.
the new selective seritonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants are also being found helpful in such previously difficult to treat disorders such as obsessive-compulsive behavior (continuous hand-washing or hair pulling), and anhedonia (relative inability to experience pleasure).
OCD isn’t just handwashing. It basically consists of total irrational fears-even when the person KNOWS that they are irrational-and then compulsions-trying to protect oneself.