Bick Wanck, MD
Dr. Bick Wanck, of Saratoga Springs, is a psychiatrist and author of a new book called “Mind Easing: 3-Layered Healing Plan for Anxiety and Depression,” published by HCI books, the same firm that produced the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series. Q : How long have you lived in Saratoga?
A : I moved to Saratoga late in 1985 and have considered it my true home since then. Saratoga has a hip vibe, beautiful architecture, brilliant people and excellent dining and entertainment options. It provides easy access to major metropolitan areas and some of the most beautiful natural resources on the planet. Better yet, with the emerging eco-disasters of floods, droughts, wildfires and hurricanes caused by global warming, Saratoga is one of the safest places on Earth. Q : What is the main premise of your new book?
A : “Mind Easing: 3-Layered Healing Plan for Anxiety and Depression” is a self-help book for general readers and professionals. It shows how to assist the mind’s natural capacity to heal by harmonizing wellness approaches, various types of therapy and, if needed, medicine into a plan tailored to the individual’s wishes and needs. Q : How does this differ from other cures for anxiety and depression? A : “Mind Easing” addresses the three essential causes of anxiety and depression rather than just their symptoms. It explains how and when psychiatric medicine can block or impede the flow of healing as well as when medicine may help restore the natural flow of healing. And it introduces the concept of soft versus hard anxiety and depression and shows readers what to do about it. All of these concepts in “Mind Easing” are new and it’s the first comprehensive healing plan created for any condition. “Mind Easing” also has a work of fiction running through it. Lisa and her friends entertain readers as they show how easy it is to construct a 3-Layered Healing Plan. Q : Are you doing any local presentations? A : “Mind Easing” is available at Northshire Bookstore, Barnes & Noble and The Book House at Stuyvesant Plaza. It can also be ordered online (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target) and will soon be available as an audio book
at audible.com. I’ll be presenting “Mind Easing” at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 6 at Northshire. I’ll explain how it works and I’ll be showing a photo of my Shaman in Peru. I’m also doing presentations at The Book House on Saturday, April 13 (3 p.m.) and Saturday, May 24 (5 p.m.) at Barnes & Noble in Wilton. I’ll be starting a national speaking tour in Seattle on May 31. Q : What is your educational and career background? A : I grew up along a rough, rural stretch of the Mason-Dixon Line. After graduating from my hometown’s “school of hard knocks” I went to Penn State where I competed on its Division I swim team. From there I attended Temple Medical School in Philadelphia. After graduating, I dropped out of formal studies and hit the road, living out of a van for a year. During this time, I designed and built furniture, wrote a novel, climbed mountains in the Andes and lived with a Shaman in the Peruvian Amazon. After lifeguarding and selling the van in Florida, to raise money to come back North, I spent four years training psychiatry at SUNY Syracuse. Then I moved to Princeton where I ran the addiction treatment program of a private facility. While there I took care of movie stars, rock stars, porn stars and politicians; wrote academic and popular nonfiction; gave talks around the country; and helped start the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, which is now a board-certified subspecialty. Feeling claustrophobic New Jersey, I moved to Saratoga Springs and started my private practice, Bick Wanck MD & Associates, which is celebrating its 33rd year.