Addiction, Identity, and Philosophy of Recovery: Finding Your Way Back to Yourself | Peg O’Connor

What happens when addiction doesn’t just take control of your habits, but slowly erodes your sense of who you are? In this episode of The Divergence Room, Peter sits down with philosopher and author Peg O’Connor to explore addiction, identity, recovery, and the search for a more meaningful life. Drawing from her own experience with alcohol addiction, Peg speaks candidly about losing her sense of self and eventually realizing that sobriety required more than simply stopping drinking—it required discovering who she was and what she stood for. The conversation explores how philosophy can become a practical tool for recovery, helping us confront difficult questions about identity, values, responsibility, and what makes a life worth living. Peg offers a powerful perspective on how our darkest struggles can sometimes create an unexpected opportunity to rebuild ourselves with greater intention. A deeply thoughtful conversation about addiction, self-respect, meaning, and the difficult but liberating journey of learning to belong to yourself again.