Any advice on Anti-Depressants?

I’m looking for some advice from anyone who has taken anti-depressants or at least knows a little about them and how they work.

Obviously I get the basics, they’re meant to help you feel less depressed.

This time last year I watched a close relative of mine die from terminal cancer. It had quite an impact on my mental health. I got really bad anxiety and suffered from pretty bad panic attacks during the time that he was ill. It took me months to start feeling normal again after his death, I will always miss him but the mental issues kind of resolved themselves with time. I’m talking about anxiety mostly.

Anyway. Fast forward to the present day and I recently discovered that my fathers condition has worsened. For the last 8 years he has had Essential Thrombocemia. Which is a type of Leukimia. But he was stable and the tablets were working and he was fine. Now it has progressed into what’s known as Myleofibrosis.

We still have to wait for the results to come back yet to know the extent of what’s going on but it’s hit me pretty hard. It’s brought back some anxiety issues that I thought I had overcome since last year.

So my question is. Will anti-depressants help me? Will they calm my anxiety? Is there any negatives about taking them, I don’t want to become dependant or addicted to them or anything. I’ve also heard that taking them can seriously lower your motivation and sex drive along with other things. Any information would be really helpful, thanks.