YES! All of the yeses! Matt and I have talked about antidepressants before and how there needs to be a better solution. Sometimes it's okay to be sad, and frustrated; these are all legitimate feelings to have and experience. I think hopelessness grows when we don't have a supportive community around us to help us see the positive aspects of our lives and how we can overcome our challenges. I can speak from experience because years ago I was prescribed antidepressants. After taking one I chucked the bottle and had a serious conversation with myself. I recognized that taking a pill wasn't going to change the parts of my life that I was unhappy with and I was the only one who could make my situation better. Instead of medicating, I decided I would eliminate the biggest stresses in my life and ask myself daily about the things I enjoyed. With help I was able to quit a job that came with a toxic environment and eventually I began working for myself. I exited an unhealthy relationship and focused on my own happiness. I started eating well, trying different exercise and activities, and most importantly asked myself about myself. What music did I actually like, where did I like to go, who did I like to see, what food did I enjoy eating? It might sound small but it put me on the path to a much happier life and lowered my blood pressure. I was only in my mid twenties and my doctor wanted to put me on blood pressure medication. I was, and still am, so grateful that I had my tribe to pull me through those challenges. We try hard to support authors on Steemit and lately haven't been as active because we're in the process of building a house. Right now, we come and go due to circumstance, but even so we've made a lot of genuine connections and plan to stick around for the long haul. Plus, it feels good to lift others up and rally around this community. I could go on, but I've already written a small novel. So in summary, I loved your post and agree 100%. -Aimee