I knit, therefore I'm sane. Ish

Stephanie Pearl Macphee aka the Yarn Harlot, posed an interesting question in her blog the other day. How do non-knitters cope with stress? Or, is it that knitting attracts a certain type of person who needs maximum stress management?

As someone who suffers from an anxiety condition, knitting makes things tolerable for me. I can knit on public transport, which allows me to remove my focus from the crazies I'm on the train or bus with. It was particularly valuable on a day etched in my memory when an unwashed loonie got on the train, sat next to me and then said "baaaa" at regular intervals until we got to town (a good 20 minutes). My knitting helps me deal with being outside my comfort zone. Or, if I'm feeling particularly stressed out knitting helps bring me down so I can successfully interact with other people. It also helps me wind down at the end of the day. I can almost knit myself to sleep with that soothing repetitive motion.

How do other people deal with these situations? Alcohol? Drugs? I know that some people use video games to reduce stress and anger. Some also completely crack and use weapons. It's a fair bet that people who go on shooting rampages have never sat down for a quiet spot of knitting when they are feeling tense. Ditto for the people who express themselves with "road rage" - a grown up tantrum where steering wheel locks are used to settle things.

Would the world be a different place if kids were told to go do some knitting when they got cranky or stressed out?  

Knitters - how does the craft assist you in times of stress?

Non-knitters (I know you're out there) how do you deal with stress? (No really, please share, I'm curious).