Why those with lived experience are the best innovators in addiction recovery
In short: Professor Eric von Hippel explores how individuals with personal experience of substance use disorders are creating their own solutions to fill gaps in recovery and support systems. This session examines the unique role of user innovators in addressing complex challenges within the addiction space.
The Substance Use Disorders Venture Program, offered in Spring 2025 as MIT RES.SUD-01, focuses on the phenomenon of user innovation. Instructors Eric von Hippel and Hanna Adeyema highlight how people navigating addiction recovery often develop creative, practical tools to solve problems that existing systems overlook.
By analyzing these bottom-up solutions, the course provides insight into how lived experience drives meaningful change. This approach shifts the perspective on recovery innovation, emphasizing the agency and ingenuity of those directly affected by substance use disorders.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: User-Developed Innovations in the Substance Use Disorder Space
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