I got my period on my thirteenth birthday.
Like most girls, I felt a mix of caution and excitement.
But the thrill of officially graduating to womanhood was shortlived.
Photo: Jenna O’Brien
Based on that description, I was sent to a cardiologist, where I didn’t get any answers.
As I grew older, I remained an anxious person.
I was never officially diagnosed with ananxiety disorder, but anxious thoughts consumed my existence.
Why I couldn’t stop worrying about what other people thought of me?
What was causing this sense of impending doom?
I just wanted to understand.
But as I neared the end of high school, my anxiety became debilitating.
And I, like so many other high school seniors, carried that weight throughout most of the year.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: that’s pretty normal.
It got to the point where my emotional state became detrimental to my personal relationships.
or “do you even love me anymore?”
To top it off, I startedhaving terrible nightmaresthat would end with me waking up in a full-body sweat.
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So, I turned to what I knew best: doodling andjournaling.
I powered through notebooks, trying to put my feelings into words and drawing manifestations of happy thoughts.
I found uplifting phrases that spoke to me and brought them to life using different fonts and colors.
Learning About PMDD
The summer before college, I went to therapy for the first time.
She then asked if I had noticed any behavioral changes around my period.
I hadn’t because I’d never really kept tabs on my cycle.
Those physical symptoms are often more pronounced with PMDD, too, according toThe Office on Women’s Health.
My mom decided to take me to see an ob-gyn for a potential alternative fix.
After about a week, however, my emotional symptoms skyrocketed.
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A month passed and I continued to feel worse.
My doctor adamantly recommended switching to a different birth control pill to see if that made a difference.
This time, I started experiencing intense (and totally unprovoked)panic attacks.
Then, to top things off, I woke up every day feeling like I had morning sickness.
(Note: TheFDA has approveda specific birth control pill to treat PMDD.
While they didn’t help me, other women with PMDD might have a different experience.)
I knew it was time to stop avoiding the inevitable and finally went to see a psychiatrist.
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My psychiatrist was the first male I had seen throughout the process of getting diagnosed.
That made me nervous because I wasn’t sure he would get it.
But after a few minutes of speaking with him, I wished I would have visited him sooner.
He made me feel understood and said that with the right treatment, my symptoms could definitely be controlled.
I walked away from that appointment with a prescription for a lowdose of antidepressants.
And for the first time in alongtime, I felt hopeful.
How My Business Was Born
I started taking antidepressants the summer before my sophomore year of college.
By then, I was also doodling on a tablet.
My friends started to ask questions: Why was I seemingly always head-down and pen-in-hand?
They felt like my art deserved to be shared with the world and I began to entertain the idea.
The only logical way to do that?
Start a blog and so from my freshman dorm room,Twenty Sevenwas born.
The name was inspired in-pat by my favorite Psalm: Psalm 27.
The verse is all about overcoming fear, which has been a very big theme throughout my life.
So, the name “Twenty Seven” just felt right.
To my surprise, people started buying them.
I decided to go with the latter.
Two months after being on antidepressants, I started my sophomore year.
It sounds cheesy, but I was already starting to feel like a new person.
I started spending my weekends selling my art at local markets and building brand awareness.
), we opened our first store in Lakeland, Florida.
I am one of those people and, so, consider myself very lucky.
Don’t get me wrong, though: I still have days when my anxiety and depression kick in.
There is no shame in getting professional help so that you might live a life of fulfillment and peace.
Things do get better.
