The Snake That Saved Us

This isn’t an easy story to tell. Introductions first? I’m Michala, I’m 11, live in TN.

I found out about Juliet early last year. Before 6th grade started. At the time, it was just beautiful music with soulful lyrics. But then the school year started, where everything went wrong. I had started to take an interest in rock music, the color black, etc. So that automatically made me “gothic and emo”. Then my friends started being boy obsessed and only wanted to be “cool”.

They started calling me emo, cutter, lezbo, fat, ugly, etc. And it hurt. Eventually, after months of it all, I started cutting. I battled anorexia, still am actually. I had to eventually tell my parents about the cutting. They brought me to a counselor. For a while, the house was sad. Then it was angry.

My dad has anger and depression issues. He doesn’t like taking his pills. So he takes his anger out on me. He’ll call me emo, fat, stupid, or just yell at me for no reason. Sometimes he’ll abuse. As a result, I started cutting again.

My point is, I’ve lost almost everyone in my life but Juliet’s always been there for me.

Thank you,
Michala. (@MichalaMiss)

“One day we’ll find out what we’re fighting for. Open the sky up and give me back the light you stole.” - Juliet Simms

I picked up my first drug at the age of 13. By 18, my life had spun out of control. I had no where to turn to. I was bankrupt. Emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I was an empty shell. I had gotten to a point where I would avoid mirrors because the sickly looking person looking back at me was a stranger. I had hit bottom. I then decided to get help. I checked into rehab and when I got out I got on with life, pretending to be happy and ok. But I was not. I came very close to relapsing. VERY CLOSE. A coworker had sent me a link to Hush, by Automatic Loveletter. I watched this tiny beautiful girl belt her heart out. I was blown away. Much like I am today watching her on the voice. So I continued to watch Autolove videos…racking up a bill on amazon buying all the songs I found! I listened to Juliet sing about her struggles and listened to her strength and it made me feel like I had strength! Like I could embrace this life finally!!

I went to my first Autolove show. Now mind you this was my first concert where I was not on drugs! I was pretty nervous. But I danced and sang right along with Juliet as she rocked the stage. I felt feelings I had never felt before because they had been masked by the drugs. After the show I got to meet Juliet. All I could say was “ohmygodiloveyou” And she hugged me. Really HUGGED me! It was a wonderful moment. I felt like she was truely grateful for her fans. And I felt pretty darn special!

I went to more Autolove shows, and everytime I got that REAL hug! She made time after every show to meet her fans! I remember the last show I went to, and afterwards she came to meet with everyone and she looked at me and her eyes lit up and she said, “I remember you” I almost cried, died, and fainted at the same time!

So here I am, almost 5 years clean, happy and strong. Music saved me from myself. But mostly Juliet Simms is truely an inspiration to me. And my facebook friends probably want to kill me for clogging their walls with requests to vote and videos…but I don’t care! I will support and fight for this girl like she supported me through my recovery. Theres no way to express how much she means to me. I love you Juliet Simms. And we’ve got your back…you have The Voice, and will win The Voice.

The Kids Will Take Their Monsters on came out right in the middle of the worst experiences of my life. I completely fell apart and I was suicidal and I was forced in a very bad living situation. I just got through the urges with that album as well as the older ones, and I somehow got through it. Every time I have an thought of dying, I go back to that album and it’s been saving me every day since it came out. I had nobody but Juliet at that point in my life, and I’m so grateful to her for everything she’s done.

-Allie

This is not just a site where you can post stories about how Juliet saved you; this is a place where we can also help you. Tracy and I care dearly about every single one of you snakeys and we are always here to help. Reading all your stories along with the troubles I’ve gone/still am going through has got me thinking about how we all need someone.

We don’t care who you are, what you look like, what you dress like, your sexual orientation, NONE OF IT. We love and support all of you for the beautiful human beings (and aliens) you are. If any of you EVER need someone to talk to, please contact us. If you’re feeling lonely, sad, scared, being bullied, need a friend or are just having a horrible day – We are here! You can email us, click our ask, or even tweet us. @AllTimeJoshy & @BeautifulTheif TheSnakeThatSavedUS@gmail.com

We will always be here for all of you and we will always welcome you with opens arms. Every single one of you are special and never forget that. We love you.

- Josh

“Automatic Loveletter helped me STAY clean.” - Rachel

SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT RACHEL! Stating clean can be very hard, I know that, and I’m so glad Juliet and her music was/is able to help you do that.

Isn’t it mind blowing how someone you’ve never met can have such a huge impact on your life? We all have that person who has said or done something so profound that it’s shaken you to the core. Well, for me, that someone is Juliet Simms.

I’ve always suffered from depression, but one time in particular stands out in my mind. It was a few years ago. I was watching my family literally fall apart. My uncle had just passed away and it felt like someone had dropped an atomic bomb and I was standing in the epicenter. My grandma was having a very difficult time with my uncle’s passing and turned to alcohol to cope. During one of her drunken rants, she said something to me that destroyed me.

“I hate you and want nothing to do with you.”

Such a small sentence, but the waves of pain that came with it were enough to make a giant crumble. For a while I acted like nothing was wrong, but those words still echoed in my brain, bouncing off the walls of my mind and taking a piece of self- esteem with every hit until self- esteem was a distant memory and self- loathing took its place.

I began cutting not too long after. Then it became boring to me. I wasn’t able to feel the pain that I craved, the pain that I deserved. I found other ways of hurting myself, but those became boring too.

So one night, I decided to end my life. The pain and the hatred that I had for myself became to strong to ignore. So I settled in my bed with a bottle of sleeping pills and a note. I was more than ready to die because I honestly believed my death would somehow bring peace to my family. The thorn in everyone’s side would be removed. As I prepared myself for what I was about to do, I decided I needed some background music. My friend had made me a cd a few days prior, so I played it. The first song on the cd was “The Answer” by Automatic Loveletter. I believed that at that moment, the heavens opened up and the angels were singing and trying to pull me out of my pit of despair. With tears streaming down my face, I realized there was more to life, that everything happens for a reason, and for every question that I had, there was an answer for it. As soon as the song ended, I threw away my note and flushed the pills.

Since that day, I feel like my life has changed. Thanks to Juliet’s music, I have been inspired to write my own lyrics and other poetry. It’s definitely been a healthy release for me.

I will always be indebted to Juliet. She brought me back to life with her music. There is no amount of thank you’s that will ever come close to repaying her for what she has done. Maybe one day, I will get the chance to thank her properly face to face. But until then, all I can do is help her live her dream by winning The Voice.

Isn’t it mind blowing how someone you’ve never met can have such a huge impact on your life?

-Heather (@YoEraPerfecto)

Over the past 7 years I’ve been struggling with my sexuality and identity. All throughout high school i was really bullied both verbally and physically. I had people writing hateful things all over my wall and photos on facebook as well as people corenering me in halls and threatening to kill me. So naturally, I developed severe depression and anxiety. I couldn’t walk down the halls comfortably, I was always scared walking home, I was self-harming and crying myself to sleep everynight.

During this time I’m discovering my musical abilities too and I think in 2007 I came across Automatic Loveletter. I found this band that wrote such beautiful, heart wrenching, powerful music fronted by this female singer with vocal balls bigger than any rocker of all time. So they instantly became my favourite band, without a doubt. And over the next couple they became my medicine.

In grade twelve (2010) I was in a guitar class practicing “I Notice” by Juliet and I was singing to myself and someone came up to me and told me I had a beautiful voice. So I kept practicing and singing away.

I played coffeehouses, competed in competitions, sang in festivals; generating good response. It was one instance in particular where I sang at an assembly (“We Are Broken” by Paramore and played the piano) and left the crowd speechless at the end before receiving huge applause. After that day people started to leave me alone seeing something special in me. Singing became my strength, the thing that made them realize that I wasn’t weird just different. My singing gave them something to relate to me on and they finally where I was coming from.

Her music also inspired me to write my own music . Writing this music allowed me to explore sectors of my soul, heart, mind and life that I was either ashamed and afraid to look at. The more I wrote the more comfortable I became with myself.

There was even a point that I was an online competition and I needed votes for my page and upon tweeting Juliet Simms asking for her help, she tweeted me back saying that she voted and that my music was awesome and to keep pursuing it.

Though at times I still struggle to love myself and be totally comfortable in my skin, also there are times where I lose faith in my music because I hit a rut. But following Juliet’s story and listening to songs like “Story of my Life” and “Carry the Fire” I find strength to keep going. Her perserverance is so admirable and I feel strong listening to her music and thinking of her struggle.

Juliet Simms changed, changes and will continue to change my life and I’m so grateful for mother snake :D

- alittlelessthanordinary