As I passed by a large concrete planter in downtown Santa Clara I happened to notice this. Risperdal is the brand name for Risperidone, a medication used to treat schizophrenia and for short-term use with bipolar disorder. I was well-acquainted with this drug for several years when I worked at a non-profit mental health center in Austin. I worked on the Assertive Community Treatment team, which assisted people who had multiple hospitalizations. Each of us had a caseload of ten people, and each client received intensive care: medication management; being taken to doctor’s appointments, the grocery store; in some cases I managed the income they received from Social Security Disability (paltry though it was) and helped them budget for rent, utilities, and so on. It was an intense job, and I burned out on it. I learned a great deal about myself in the process. It was humbling.