at the very least, they can induce manic episodes for some susceptible people. that alone proves these are real psychoactive drugs that have powerful effects on the brain.

there is still a question of whether they are really an overall good treatment for depression. i think the answer is "yes", but certainly people could disagree in good faith.

my problem is the most common anti-SSRI argument is that they are just placebos that do nothing at all, which is ridiculous.