Seconded. SSRI's seem to have a stigma around them. A lot of people I know "worry it'll change their personality". For me, it did change my personality. I went from being an anxious mess to being functional. Really wish I had started them sooner.
I'm not on drugs, but I view the years before I went to a psychologist as 80% wasted.
Same here. My old personality mostly comprised avoidance of any behavior that had occurred near a panic attack, which slowly began to cover more and more of the things I once enjoyed. My new personality is dominated by intellectual curiosity. Definitely an upgrade, though it also saddens me how much better my life would be had I started sooner.
Thirded. One of the symptoms of depression for me is anger; if I miss a few days of paroxetine, my temper starts resurfacing. With it, it's possible to notice that I actually have a personality.