Drawing from over two decades of clinical experience and rich case narratives, Dr. Narayanan explores the complex interplay between trauma, personality, and substance use. She challenges conventional labels and reductionist models, advocating instead for a compassionate, narrative-based approach to therapy—one that empowers individuals to reclaim and rewrite their life stories.Through compelling examples and clinical insights, she illustrates how changing the narrative surrounding addiction can transform both individual lives and societal perceptions. Dr. Gitanjali Narayanan, a dedicated faculty in Clinical Psychology at NIMHANS Bangalore, speaking at TEDx AIIMS Raipur 3.0! With a career devoted to advancing mental health, she's a trailblazer in addiction and personality disorder research.She has developed the first Personality Lab in India called Personality and Emotions Division of Research & Applications (PEDRA) at NIMHANS, through which she actively sensitizes the larger mental health community on addiction, trauma and personality. She has authored over 50 articles, contributed to several books, and received several grants from NIH, Wellcome Trust, ICMR This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx