I was on several different meds as a child and teen, at different times. I can only remember the names of a couple of them--Ritalin, and Phenobarbital. None of the meds helped me at all, and they all had unpleasant side effects, so I eventually took myself off of them without telling my parents or the docs at the time. I did tell my father some years later, but he hadn't liked my being on these drugs anyway, because he didn't think they were safe, and he also saw that they weren't helping me, so he was glad that I had taken myself off of them. I didn't take any psych meds after that except a brief try with Lexapro a few years ago, first at 10mgs, and then at 20mgs. It was prescribed for depression, and didn't do anything at all--it was like I had taken sugar pills. There was no effect whatsoever, except some stomach discomfort, at either dosage. Man that med is garbage. I haven't done any psych meds since then. I really don't want to take psych meds unless there is no other choice. I prefer to use my non med coping methods. They actually help some. I know of a bunch of different ones. Some of them I can't do because of my other health problems, but there are enough coping methods that I can use, and that do help, so my depression is under control, now. I was having a bad time a few years ago because of financial problems and a problem with a relative I was living with. Both my financial situation and my living situation have improved since then, so now my coping methods are able to help more, and my stress levels are down a lot.
My advice is to avoid drugs unless there is no other choice.
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If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured, or far away.--Henry David Thoreau