Cognitive behavioral therapy is also very effective in many cases (and can work on its own without medication, depending on the situation).
It is important to note, however, that the person must commit.
There is a huge movement in north america to through drugs at everything. In Europe they take an entirely different approach on a lot of front and are seeing more success than us in those areas (ADD immediately comes to mind)
I'm not against medication, but I am against rushing to medication. I'd much rather someone try various forms of therapy first. CBT is just one of them, and happens to be working at a rate equal to or greater than prescription medication.
Edit: I wanted to thank you for the reply. Discussion surrounding the topic is critical to progression.
nail on the head! many people don't realize when they need to go to a doctor and get the meds they need.
Though CBT doesn't seem to be more effective compared to other types of therapy for treating depression. It is still better than no therapy. [2]
[1] Chan EK-H. Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral, pharmacological, and combined treatments of depression: A meta-analysis.
[2]Hoffman et al. The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses.
I am noticeably less depressed (dysthimic, really) than I used to be and Seligman's books were part of the difference.