As an addictologist, I often have to deal with addictions. Most often, it is alcohol or drugs. Digging a little deeper, it becomes clear that this dependence is secondary. Its cause was emotional dependence on some significant person. Many people immediately think about a love partner, or spouse, parent, or child. But more and more often, I am faced with an unhealthy attachment to business partners. What is the basis of this addiction, and why is it dangerous? Not long ago, I had to work with the director of a small construction company. It must be said that initially the request for consultation was from his wife. She complained about her husband’s frequent binges and “depressions.” As you understand, she was in the role of a typical “sozik” (codependent). Soon I had a chance to talk with my husband. He did not consider alcohol a problem, since there was no craving for it. But he admitted the reason for his blues and insomnia, from which he escapes with alcohol. - I would really like to restore relations with a distant relative, a business partner. It turned out that there was a quarrel between them more than six months ago. And since my client was not independent in terms of decision-making, problems began in the business, as well as in everything else. He had enough knowledge in the professional field, charisma, authority over his subordinates, everything... Except for simple human participation based on trust. It turned out that in childhood our hero grew up without a father. And the partner, in a sense, was his archetypal prototype. The client literally absorbed his habits, passions, and way of making decisions, like mother’s milk. He literally became the shadow of this man. Although, deep down, he incredibly wanted to be on an equal footing with this man, although he was only a year older than himself. The reason for the quarrel was some ridiculous call from a business partner while drunk, which led to a conflict. The director of a construction company tried restore relations, and even invited me to a restaurant to drink the “peace pipe” and smoke the “peace pipe”…. But the partner, who is also a relative, turned out to be extremely principled, despite the fact that objectively he was not entirely right. The business began to suffer along with my client, as often happens. Multimillion-dollar contracts began to break down, deadlines were delayed, and customers began to sue. It got to the point that I had to mortgage my property in order to pay wages to employees. Those, in turn, observing decadence and confusion, began to leave for competitors. Unsteadiness, internal supports, the client’s personality, added somatic illness. Chronic ailments worsened, appetite disappeared. This is where he became an alcoholic. We worked through many issues, and also worked out the most effective models for resuscitating a business. “The ship and its captain” were saved. There are many such cases. Especially among those who inherited a business from a parent. “Leadership and assertiveness” trainings do not help everyone and not always. An individual approach to the client is important. What helped you and how often did you have to deal with similar situations?