“I would not be here right now,” retired United States Army Sergeant Richard Shoemaker told local Arizona 12News reporter Katie Bieri in an interview recently.

“It would have ended for me about three years ago.”

The “end” the veteran speaks of, is suicide — at the hands of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), something he picked up, he told Bieri, one single night. Less than a day.

“I only regret eight hours of it. Out of 13 years.”

It came in October 1993, when while serving on a NATO aid mission in Somalia, he and his fellow soldiers were ambushed by a sniper.

The lifesaver, his reason for still holding strong on this mortal coil, is … video games.

About six years ago, his physician recommended he play two hours of video games per day. When he did, his wretched symptoms (headaches, nightmares, anxiety) subsided.

He said he’s an avid Madden football gamer. His console of choice? Xbox.

Now, thanks to this unorthodox but effective therapy, he can look back on his service with appreciation. And wonder.

“I’ve seen the Northern Lights — I’ve seen them from a parachute floating down,” he told Bieri. “I’ve seen the Eiffel Tower at night. I’ve got a chance to see Wimbledon.”

For more on the treatment’s perception and promise at large this, again, via 12News:

The extent of the therapeutic benefits video games may have for ailments like anxiety and PTSD is up for debate. Some researchers have theorized that video games relieve anxiety by allowing the player to enter a psychic state without requiring the player to invest too much effort. This state of mind activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which can alleviate stress.

According to a 2016 study by the American Telemedicine Association, video games may complement in-person psychotherapeutic care.

The Texas-based nonprofit Operation Supply Drop provides video games “by the thousands” to active-duty personnel and veterans who have returned home. Stack-Up is another nonprofit that delivers video games “and nerd goodness” to veterans recovering in military hospitals, ranging from Madden to war game Call of Duty.

Shoemaker says playing video games helps him cope with “the demons” from the battlefield.

He adds that he has adopted the Dallas Cowboys as one of his favorite teams on Madden football.

According to Statista, the global video game industry altogether sees over $100 billion in annual revenue.

And, for the record, Shoemaker is a Dallas Cowboys fan.