Turning SAD Into Glad: Coping with Seasonal Affective Disorder and Cancer Through Hope and Humor

About this episode

Deb Krier joins Dr. Brad Miller to discuss Seasonal Affective Disorder and its impact on cancer patients, offering coping strategies through hope and humor.

Deb Krier joins host Dr. Brad Miller on this episode of “Cancer and Comedy”, a show devoted to helping cancer-impacted people heal through hope and humor — what they call turning the grim into a grin. Deb is the co-host of Cancer and Comedy, a community for “lifter uppers” — people facing cancer or other serious adversity who refuse to be dragged into a dark spiral and instead choose to seek joy, connection, and laughter in the midst of difficult diagnoses. In this episode, Deb and Dr. Brad dive into the often-overlooked topic of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and its powerful correlation with cancer and other major life challenges. Deb shares her long-term awareness of SAD, including a vivid story about working in a top-secret government facility with no windows, where employees became increasingly irritable and depressed during the winter months. That experience led to practical interventions, like mandatory time outdoors and installing special lights that mimic sunlight. Dr. Brad explains that SAD is not “just the winter blues,” but a clinically recognized disorder in the DSM-5, with symptoms such as low mood, fatigue, oversleeping, carbohydrate cravings, social withdrawal…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Brad Miller

Guest: Deb Krier

Topics covered

• Seasonal Affective Disorder
• cancer
• coping strategies
• mental health
• hope
• humor

Keywords

• Seasonal Affective Disorder
• cancer
• mental health
• coping strategies
• hope
• humor
• depression
• fatigue

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cancer and Comedy, DSM-5

More episodes of Cancer and Comedy: Helping Cancer Impacted People to Cope with Hope and Humor

• Encore: Making Comedy from Adversity: Mallori DeSalle’s Real Talk on Cancer, Family, and Fleas · June 5, 2026 · 54 min
• The Inner Journey: Savio Clemente on Emotional Healing and Adaptive Resilience After Cancer · May 29, 2026 · 60 min
• Built in the Fire: Buddy Clay’s Journey Through Cancer, Faith, and Finding Humor · May 22, 2026 · 56 min
• Living Fully and Finishing Well: Lessons from My Friend Joe Bottorf's Inspiring Final Chapter. · May 15, 2026 · 39 min
• Encore: Bridging Laughter and Science: Positive Psychology, Cancer, and Humor with Merv Neal (Australia’s Leading Laughter Expert) · May 8, 2026 · 1h 8m
• Bridging Health Equity: Dr. Eugene Manley on Cancer, AI, and Making Science Accessible. · May 1, 2026 · 1h 1m