Also they are often prescribed as a life-long solution, instead of a temporary stop-gap to get through some bad state of mind while, as you said, "tackling the root cause". At some point they will potentially stop working which requires switching meds and often the next one won't work as well, plus, leaving the user stuck with withdrawal symptoms for unspecified amount of time (potentially years) and anti-depressant pushers don't usually warn about this, or even acknowledge it when confronted with "since stopping I have symptom x, y, z".

Source: multiple friends, family and forums (while researching how to help friends & family get off of various SSRIs).

They allow me to function. I've gone through various dosages of various types to find the ones that work best for me, but they have never stopped working. They also allowed me to stick with CBT therapy, and after 20 years my therapist told me I didn't need him anymore ("Call if that changes").

Your second paragraph reveals a biased motive behind your opinion.

I'm really tired of reading anti-medicine testimonials from people who had anecdotal bad results. Yes, penicillin won't stop antibiotic-resistant strains of some germs, and in fact may kill people like me if we take heavy doses. That's worse than what you're describing for SSRIs; does that mean doctors shouldn't prescribe it?