Anyone have good alternative depression treatments?

For the past 2-3 months, I've been feeling a pretty significant relapse into clinical depression (for example, PHQ-9 score of 16 or 17 every time I do it). In the past, I'd take medication to temper it. But, they had really bad side effects, and also got to be expensive. My insurance isn't too great.

Therapy is far too expensive, so I can't go that route.

Anyone have any worthwhile alternative solutions to treating clinical depression?

The solutions I gave throughout this site for anxiety, apply to depression as well. One great technique that will help is searching scripture for all the peace giving verses; write them all on the same page, and meditate and recite them aloud everyday until they become a part of your natural thinking. It works because God's word is living and active.

This is a really old topic, but I thought I'd reply in case other people have similar problems.

There are two things I've found really useful. One is the practice of mindfulness, which is about seeing thoughts as events that come and go in our minds, rather than necessarily allowing them to control us. It's hard work, but I've found it incredibly rewarding.

The second thing is exercise. My psychiatrist actually said he would recommend exercise as being equally as important as medication in combating the effects of depression. And since I've been exercising regularly I've had a huge improvement in how I feel.