The author cites a 1,000-year-old case history of a young prince who manifested symptoms of psychotic depression associated with anorexia nervosa. The treatment of this patient by Avicenna, a Persian physician, set a precedent for some psychotherapeutic techniques currently in use. These include: communicating with the patient within his delusional system, creating an effective therapeutic milieu, and applying consultation techniques of community psychiatry.Abstract Teaser