Okie I here. First and foremost horayy to recovery! Even if it's just the first step, it's a decently difficult first step to take. That being said, it's even harder to follow through fully with, so if you need to ever talk feel free to message me.
That being said I'll give my perspective as psych major(granted this is my second year in Uni so take EVERYTHING with a grain of doubt.). From my personal experience the three fundamental flaws with the modern mental healthcare system are 5051s, over problem solving, and an inability to actually understand/empathize with their patients due to lack of care or protocol. In many ways therapy works wonders for the average person, who has the attitude and willpower to follow through with a "how to get better" regime. In many cases, it can be hard if not impossible to muster enough mental power so that you can motivate yourself to follow plan. As such, therapy sessions can become stuck in a loop of non-improvement, where the therapist has nothing new to offer. This isn't helped by the fact that many therapists, especially those employed by major hospital organizations, fail to properly empathize due to the limited amount of talking a therapist is allowed. It's one thing to confide your feelings to a listener but a whole different thing to feel heard or understood. Finally, 5150s, and the threat of hospitalization essentially remove a patients ability to discuss concurring plans or future acts which may result in their or another's harm.
There is technically a form of therapy which avoids these three things, however it's typically frowned upon for its unreliability(in a psych "reliability" sense). It's called humanistic therapy, and it's basically a non existent practice due to not following general hospital protocol. Its general focus is less on helping a person following steps which have been shown to help and instead to help the person explore and understand their emotions and themselves. If by some miracle there's an affordable and credible one in your area it's worth a try.
That being said, if you are intending to following a normal mental health plan, I highly encourage you take meds, and just search around for one that doesn't upset your body. After all, MDD/SAD/PDD(depression) is caused by multiple different factors. That being said, a lack of serotonin is a notable aspect of depression, so taking SSRIs to correct this imbalance is highly recommended.
I hope the best for you. Again, if you ever need to talk my DMs are open. Take care and good luck on your journey soldier