Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
Ellapen Rapiti

Creator

Ellapen Rapiti

Dr Ellapen Rapiti is a family physician, specialising in child and mental health and addiction counselling.

See people as individual humans, not as a race

We need to ingrain values of equality in education, businesses, society broadly and religious groups to see people

For well over a generation the management of diabetes focused primarily on bringing blood sugar levels within the normal range to prevent a huge list of complications such as blindness, kidney disease, heart attacks, strokes and amputations.

Diabetes is not just about the sugar

Newer drugs, which prevent costly complications, should be made much more affordable

NAPLES, CAMPANIA, ITALY – 2020/10/20: Schoolchildren with cognitive disabilities are helped by their teachers in a classroom with social distancing during the closure of schools imposed by the COVID19 emergency. The Vanvitelli elementary school in Naples is one of the few schools that has not closed its gates so as to assist their most fragile pupils. (Photo by Salvatore Laporta/KONTROLAB/LightRocket via Getty Images)

How to recognise mental illness in children and adolescents

Children are often unable to verbalise their feelings of anxiety or depression, instead presenting with physical symptoms or odd behaviour. Diagnosis and treatment is crucial to…

File photo by
David Harrison/M&G

Politicians must be held accountable

Endless, toothless internal integrity committees are not the way out of corruption

(John McCann/M&G)

You can’t beat discipline into a child

Children displaying aberrant behaviour have often been traumatised and require counselling

(John McCann/M&G)

Listen to your children

Witnessing violence or even being bullied at school can traumatise youngsters in ways we don’t always see at first

(John McCann/M&G)

Avoid the silent killer

Check your blood pressure every six months and, if you’re on medication, take it as prescribed

The system turned our mourning into a minefield. Graphic: John McCann/ M&G

Grief is different for everyone

Some people need to seek professional help so that they can learn to accept the death of a loved one

(John McCann)

A poison by any other name

It is not just the person who drinks alcohol in excess who is harmed; the family suffers too

(Graphic: John McCann/M&G)

Anxiety can destroy your life

The disorder is often misdiagnosed because symptoms mask the problem, but it can be treated with therapy

(Graphic: John McCann/M&G)

Want to quit smoking? Breathe

Puffing away on nicotine is unhealthy and socially no longer acceptable, but people do struggle to give it up