SpiralusSancti
Bluelighter
So I personally see opioids as the best option when it comes to using a non-toxic antidepressant medication (but I'm open minded, so if you have a better argument, then I'm open for change). I'm gonna have to post some excerpts from opioids in mental illness here in the forum eventually. Too many people aren't aware of the incredibly versatile uses that opioids can have at different dosages.
I guess first thing I would recommend to someone is trying cannabis, and trying different ROAs and different ratios of cannabinoids. But to depressed users of cannabis I would first recommend trying to stop use. Cannabis isn't likely to help with any more intense depression but trying wont hurt people otherwise healthy. I would, as I know many psychiatrist who don't rely solely on drugs do so, recommend that person indulges in hedonistic stuff. By that I mean things like long walks true nature, followed by having a great meal at some restaurant by Adriatic sea, followed by skinny dipping at sunset. Add some weed to that and many people will have even better day. Prolong that long enough and for some Sun will come up. So I think for depression cannabis alone doesn't really work but for some might just be that drop needed to make existence bearable.
If weed doesn't help or person is looking for something with more lasting effects. If that person in question is pretty stable personality I would recommend psychedelics and emphatogens depending on how deep/high person is willing to go. If possible coupled with therapy or at least as good as it gets set & setting. While emphatogens are usually considered more for healing trauma and some other uses they can definitely help with depression too. That's anyway often connected to other mental problems where emphatogens are definitely showed to help. But I would strongly advise against MDMA, especially as initial stuff used. Much better option imho is αMT which I find to be wonderful antidepressant with minimal side-effects. I would suggest starting rather low, than having moderate to strong experience when ready and than maybe use it like it was originally intended, 5mg or so a day. I strongly believe are many better options than MDMA and would recommend MDMA only if person seems to handle really good some imo safer substances. Someone having rebound anxiety/depression from let's say bk-MDMA definitely shouldn't hope it would be better with MDMA, tho there are exceptions for sure.
If person is willing to try psychedelics I would recommend starting with something that has minimal body load and that could be considered candy-psychedelic in dose taken. As it's used quite extensively 2c-b would be obvious choice, low dose mescaline might work great too. If person feels that such exploration of psyche doses them good than gradual increase forward intense experience might proceed. And for that it would best be to stick with classic psychedelics like LSD, mushrooms, DMT and mescaline. This is path that can result in bad outcomes and I don't meant just during the experience but if done properly for most people it pretty safe. Obviously if person suffers from certain mental problems along depression this option could be a worst idea.
Out of pretty easy to find stuff that dose not produce strong high in lower doses I would first recommend harmine, harmaline and other related substances. Those alkaloids are very effective for some people and those who only get slight relief should explore other MAOi drugs. Also that option is great for anyone who doesn't look for any noticeable high as a way out of depression. While you can have a really intense experience with some MAOi drugs, most become effective for depression at much lower doses. Really great antidepressant is l-deprenyl. Another great advantage of l-deprenyl is that it repairs some damage done by other drugs and that makes it even better option for certain drug users, given they won't combine it with wrong stuff ofc.
Coming to classic stims, benzos, dissos and opiates is where many will find their panacea and many more think they found it until sobering up. Ofc in all those categories there are drugs that'll work great for some people but imo risks are significant and using them in a correct fashion is usually reserved for shorter periods. And with exception of dissos they are not, as far as I know, showed to really cure depression and are rather treating symptoms and usually stopping them follows with worse condition than before starting them. Dissos MIGHT be exception but I think that they rather have really long antidepressant effects than ability to treat it (semi)permanently like psychedelics. But it's still possible to have disso experience that on the mental level allows person to break trough problems and handle life better, it just seems less common and sometimes even when it seems so it's too often followed with addiction. Salvia and ibogain might be exception but I don't think either is known to be very effective for such use but I might be wrong.
Understand that I'm in no way claiming opiates ain't good for you personally. Hell I'm even pretty convinced they do myself too more good than damage and wouldn't mind at all having some opium, morphine or something. What I've seen almost countless times is opiate use going wrong. Often causes had nothing to do with legality of drugs as stuff used was either pharmaceutical or as good but surely it would be even worse if it wasn't so. Some people are simply more prone to personality changes be it from thing happening in the brain or around them.