Hi everyone. I've never posted here before, but I'm really hoping you can help. My little sister is 12. Her friends have been telling her that all the birds and fish that died over the last 2 weeks was 'biblical" and a "sign of the times". She went to Yahoo! Answers for help. Well, she found page after page of people saying the same thing. She spent hours reading tis stuff and anything else she could find on it. One place, The Examiner, is reporting on it heavily. It's the first thing she does when she gets up and she does it until bed time. She hasn't been to school in 2 days because she has made her self ill…throwing up, upset stomach, the shakes, not sleeping. I'm afraid she may hurt herself. I want to try to help her before she goes to a doctor. Please…help me help my little sister. She's scared. Some people are quoting Zephaniah from the bible…I don't know what to do.
She went to Yahoo! Answers for help. Well, she found page after page of people saying the same thing.
I am not surprised. Yahoo! Answers isn't a very good website for those things. If she is scared, she need to visit good websites. Yahoo! Answers is made mostly by ignorant people that just want to scare people.
was 'biblical" and a "sign of the times"
Well, is not a sign of times. This is just one more invention of the doomsayers.
I want to try to help her before she goes to a doctor.
Go to old threads about this same matter (birds and fish mass deaths) on this forum. There you will find some explanation and some nice links.
Say this to her: this is completely normal. Animals always died and will forever die in mass. This happens every year, every month and every weak.
This can be a proof: recently, one of our users, LexieDawn, gave a link in a post. It can help her:
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/voices/medred/8210-massive-bird-fish-kills-in-alaska-and-no-one-noticed
But, first of all, she have to stop going to those websites and listening to doomsayers.
Peace!
Worried, you might want to send your sister to this website:
http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/publications/quarterly_reports/index.jsp
Show her that wildlife dying in large numbers, as has been reported recently by our irresponsible media, is a completely normal aspect of the natural world. These things happen constantly, and there's nothing unusual about it.
I agree:
e.g.
1996!
100,000 died 09/01/96-09/30/96 because of Botulism.
117,052 died 07/08/96-09/20/96 because of Botulism.
This is 1996, 15 years ago and the world is still here.
And I bet that back then people also quoted the bible to predict it, but they were clearly wrong.
I've shown here the USGS article and chart. She saw a new report this morning about some birds being found in California and more fish. Mt parents think is a cry for attention, I however, think it's something to worry about. She doesn't have an appetite, upset stomach…you name it. When I went in her room this morning and she was reading about the birds in California, she was crying to hard to even talk. Guys, I'm lost. I don't know what to do. I'm only 18, it freaks me out a little too. I know that it happens and I read thru the other thread and showed her some of the links, nothing helped her.
Hello "Worried Sister",
I know that it happens and I read thru the other thread and showed her some of the links, nothing helped her.
Then I'm afraid we can't do much. All I can suggest is that you read our article on dealing with fears, and try to see if you can get her some professional help. I'm afraid that I'll only waste your time by saying more.
"I was glad to be able to answer him promptly and with confidence. Without hesitation, I told him I didn't know." Mark Twain
She have to stop reading about the birds and fish, because she will easily be scared.
I know that it happens and I read thru the other thread and showed her some of the links, nothing helped her.
She have to understand that real information is better than any doomsday claim. Talk to her, and say: nothing will happen. It's very normal.
Sometime she will trust you. Soon, her common sense will awake. If it doesn't, maybe some professional help take care the situation.
Peace and keep trying.
To be honest I'm not sure. she truly believes she isn't going to see her next birthday……
Normally when my girlfriend gets upset, I just sit next to her and let her do the talking. I jut sit there to show that she is not alone and she can express all the feeling she has to someone stable like an anchor.
But I wonder if there is something else. Something unrelated to these 2012 but that was before. The 2012 might only triggered the emotion of something else already there.
I've tried listening to her. I've tried explaining the media boom…I've tried to tell her that if the Arkansas birds hadn't got so much air time, we'd never heard about the ones in Sweden or Britain and the other bird stories wouldn't have come out. The new story today about California and one about some fish frozen in Illinois has really done her in. She is 100% convinced that we are fixing to have an apocalypse. Have you seen those stories? I feel so bad for her. I stayed up until 3 am EST this mornig trying to find articles to help her. Some of the stuff I've came across gave me a bad feeling…..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/11/birds-fall-from-sky-california_n_807330.html
That place the Examiner has done a LOT of stories on this topic!
This one too. And most of them are by Roz Zurko.
Yes I have seen those stories, and all these people should be held liable for the damage they do.
Is she very religious?
Normally a talk to the priest could help, but I have no idea if the priests in your area is actually promoting hell and apocalypse or if they are more neutral on this.
Specialized medical help is normally advised in this.
My sister is not super religious. Our parents aren't very very religious but believe what the Bible says. I'm scared to have her talk to a preacher for fear he may tell her the signs are all around. That would make it a lot worse. I would like to try to help her without medication if I could. I've tried to discuss it with my parents, but they blow it off as an attention thing.
WorriedSister, I know that you want to help her without medication or professional help, but maybe isn't this what she wants. You think that she is not listening to you and don't even realize how all this stuff is normal, but in fact she is and she likes to hear the truth. But what she is always thinking is "what if?".
So, glad you help her, but now she need some extra help.
Thanks. It's not really the 2012 that's bothering her. It's that she thinks these birds and fish are a sign. She also saw the article that girl posted in another thread from the Examiner about the theologian or whoever saying it was in the Bible. It just seems like so much is popping up so fast. 17 cases in a week?? That's her worry.
It's not too fast, WorriedSister. It's normal.
And it's not in the Bible, isn't an apocalypse sign…
This is what she have to realize.
Some time your parents will see that she is worried.
Lord, she just came to me with this!! Why don't people care what they are doing to children?!?!?! CHILDREN!!!! How many kids are going to harm themselves because of this????
New:
Report about the birds made by USGS:
Thanks for that article. I can't keep her off the internet. She has access to it on her phone, her iPod and the family computer. She spends ALL DAYlooking for this stuff. I emailed someone from USGS and he didn't reply. This has to stop!! If my little sister is worried, how many other kids has this affected?!?! Let's not forget to mention, her pet lizard died today and she even took that as a sign!!!
oh wow are you sure this thing didn't trigger something deeper? I suffer with anxiety ,and the way it sounds your sister maybe developing it. I think it's best you tell your parents how serious this actually is. What really calmed me down about this is when my parents told me if it was something to worry about don't you think we would be watching it? My mom didn't even know about it and she even watched 2012 lol. Tell your sister all of this is just hype and a scam. Tell her if she doesn't take everything derious on the tv why does she the internet? At 12 I know what she's going through with the fear and it's not gonna be easy for her ,but I respect you for trying your hardest to help your little sister out. YOur doing a great thing ,and she'll soon be able to kick this fear with your help. =]
Lakin, how old are you? Did the birds and fish worry you?
My parents said the same thing, Lankin. I suffer from anxiety.I'm on meds for it. And boy do they help! (along with this site of course). My local news have not said a thing about this. My parents didn't even know about everything other than arkansas birds. If it was something serious, they would be talking about it on the news daily. And they aren't. Many many experts are saying this is NOT uncommon. They're not worried,and since they know what they're doing, I'm not worried either.
That's how I see it. I still suffer with anxiety ,but I learned to ignore stuff like that. News always reports on bad stuff never anything good. If they'd find a cure for cancer you'd get them saying that then onto afire or something…
News always reports on bad stuff never anything good.
Yes, the news are mostly bad stuff, but sometimes are just news, and sometimes good news. Maybe your local news isn't very good at all…
I wish I could get over the fear. The new stories today about California and Illinois freaked me out. BAD!!! Nothing seems to help me. I've read story after story and I even called the USGS and talked to a lady there…it didn't help. It all just seems to be happening at once and I know everyone on this site is sick of me…..
Lexie,
I hope this can help you.
Peace!
times out of Nah, Your consered and need help why do you think this site was made. think to yourself would you normally even care about this? One thing when dealing with anxiety is you have to take a step back and breathe. Realize that 9 out of 10 times your just worrying over nothing. Things happen all the time like this and this isn't out of the ordinary. I would only worry if every single bird just dropped and died randomly ,but this is far from that ,so don't worry about it. It may help by just not looking it up anymore just simply say it's nothing and soon you'll find yourself laughing at your fear. If this was a concern in anyway experts would be running around frantic ,but they aren't giving it a second look so just live your life like you normally would and i promise you'll be okay. =]
typo ignore times out of Nah just supposed to be nah.. My keyboard flipped sorry =]
You're right. If I hadn't heard of 2012 I probably would just be my normal happy self. But, for as long as I can remember I've feared the apocalypse. I was raised southern baptist, and those preachers are very "hellfire and brimstone"…..Now, with so many people quoting the Bible, it's brought all that fear back out.
Ah i see where this can scare you. Well I don't know much about the bible I'm spiritist. I wouldn't be concerned though people have been tying the bible in with everything it seems. So these "signs" are probably people misquoting or misusing the bible. The one thing I know it says is that no one will know the time it will end or something along those lines. SO I wouldn't worry too much about it. =]
Couldn't someone from here that's older than me email the Examiner and explain to them what they are doing?? I'm sick of living in fear. I couldn't find any bigg news outlets that have it on there about the new birds and fish.
A quick flick of a wik(ipedia) article to the rescue:
Examiner.com has been criticized for its lack of verification and fact-checking of stories published on the site.
Well that's all I really need to know about the credentials of that website - a platform to allow pro-am contributors to write whatever articles they want, who can earn money each and every time their page is viewed (we're not talking wads of cash, but that's the incentive; write what sells)
The reason that I'm giving then as to why the lesser 'news outlets' still churn this stuff out is because there is money to be made, not directly (as in selling a DVD or book), or in large amounts, but making money from page views and advertising. And endless searching for bird deaths on Google and clicking links to the Examiner or other news aggregates are only going to keep the cycle going.
So you mean every time I click on one of their links I'm paying those scumbags?!?!?!?! That is DISGUSTING!
well you see most sites such as facebook youtube ect. are like that. People get paid to manage webpages and the more populare it becomes the more money they make. Not all websites are like that ,but about 95% are if theres any ads usually someone is making money somwhere on the site.
Sites that arentnlike that are NASA. I look at my citys news and they say nothing about it anymore. They published an article about how normal it is, and that was it. They don't care about it anymore, honestly. Thats why I am not worried about it
http://www.ktvu.com/news/26457715/detail.html
Birds in Cali were hit by a Semi! :0) Feeling a little better. I think they need to quit reporting on this now.
I think they're tiring of reporting it by now. You'll see less and less of it.
Stop press:
Dead Ducks Found All Over USA
AP. 2200 Tuesday 11th Jan 2011
In another bizarre wildlife event, large numbers of dead ducks have been found in various locations around the country. "It was the durndest thang", said Mr. Earl E. Bird of Looneyville Texas. "The newspaper delivery boy came by and suddenly they were all over the place."
On closer examination, the dead ducks were found to be newspaper stories about mass wildlife die-offs. A spokesperson for the USGS said, "We've now examined a number of these stories and we can confirm that they are definitely dead ducks. There's absolutely no life left in them now."
Many of the stories were known to have been roosting at the headquarters of The Examiner and were being despatched to all parts of the country, boosted by continuous waves of hot air. The Editor of The Examiner, Mr. R. McGeddon said, "We thought we could prolong their life by feeding then with religious flavored baloney, but we'll now have to go back to our usual stories about UFOs, Bigfoot and dead flying pigs."
Reporters:
Harry VaDerci
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