‘American Sniper’ widow Taya Kyle touts therapy to help veterans deal with PTSD

Taya Kyle, the widow of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, touted therapy as a form of dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in an interview that aired Thursday on Hill.TV’s “Rising,” and warned against the use of prescription drugs. 

“PTSD is not a life sentence. It’s a traumatic time in your life. It’s really hard, but there are alternatives to going to the VA and getting a bottle of pills, and there are alternatives to getting a check for the rest of your life,” Kyle told host Buck Sexton. 

“We have so many options for great therapy now that we didn’t have 30 years ago,” she said. “It’s a shame for people to think they now have a life sentence, and they can’t get better. They can.” 

“So I think it’s great that we’re aware of it, but I think we need to work on the awareness of getting different kinds of therapy. There’s accelerated resolution therapy, EMDR, color therapy, yoga, acupuncture, things like that help people,” she said. “Some of those things are supplements to the bigger therapeutic approach, but there are definitely ways to get better.”

Chris Kyle, who was portrayed in the movie “American Sniper,” which was based on his autobiography, was killed by a former Marine with PTSD at a shooting range in Texas in 2013. 

Chris Kyle, himself, worked to help veterans suffering from PTSD prior to his death. 

— Julia Manchester