{"id":87713,"date":"2025-08-16T17:38:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-16T17:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/87713\/"},"modified":"2025-08-16T17:38:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T17:38:08","slug":"gen-zers-moment-that-led-to-schizophrenia-diagnosis-thats-how-you-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/87713\/","title":{"rendered":"Gen Zer’s Moment That Led to Schizophrenia Diagnosis: ‘That’s How You Know’"},"content":{"rendered":"

A woman who is frequently asked how she knew she had schizophrenia has answered the question on TikTok<\/a>, racking up 720,000 views.<\/p>\n

To put it shortly, Mackenzie Salmonson, then 24, had no idea she was suffering from the chronic mental health illness that disrupts a person’s ability to think clearly, regulate emotions, make sound decisions, and connect with others. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates it affects 0.25 to 0.64 percent of the U.S. population.<\/p>\n

With no family history of the illness, Salmonson, who lives in Dallas, Texas, thought her paranoia\u2014which went from bad to worse\u2014was completely reasonable.<\/p>\n

The 26-year-old told Newsweek about the turbulent ordeal. She said: “At first, I thought I was being tracked, but then it escalated, and I believed I had a brain chip implanted.”<\/p>\n

\"Mackenzie
\nTwo screenshots from the viral video showing Salmonson speaking to the camera wearing a green top.
\nTwo screenshots from the viral video showing Salmonson speaking to the camera wearing a green top.
\nMackenzie Salmonson\/TikTok\/@blinzo22<\/p>\n

On August 3, Salmonson, using the TikTok handle @blinzo22<\/a>, posted a clip titled, “How did I know I had schizophrenia? (I did not).”<\/p>\n

In it, she described her experience with psychosis and, after referencing a brain chip, concluded, “That’s how you know.”<\/p>\n

She told Newsweek: “When the symptoms first started, I felt less real and less connected to reality. This led me to believe I was dead.<\/p>\n

“Then came paranoid thoughts, and I thought everything was a sign pointing me in the right direction from the universe. For example, I could be driving down the highway and see a casino advert saying ‘win big,’ and I’d think it was tailored specifically for me.”<\/p>\n

Eventually, Salmonson stopped taking care of herself and dramatically lost weight.<\/a><\/p>\n

She feared she was medically ill, but mental illness never crossed her mind.<\/p>\n

Instead, she spent her $10,000 insurance deductible on tests for cancer,<\/a> heavy metal poisoning, and multiple sclerosis.<\/p>\n

“I got tested for everything under the sun,” she told Newsweek. “It was a very expensive journey, and doctors thought I was a medical mystery.”<\/p>\n

She is now in medical debt and has another bill to pay, as she was hospitalized in May 2023 and diagnosed with schizophrenia.<\/p>\n

She praises her social worker for her “genius” way of getting her to go to the hospital and receive the help she needed.<\/p>\n

“I was on the phone with a social worker I found through a free community resource, and I told her about the brain chip. She tricked me,” she said.<\/p>\n

“She said she knew what to do, and I was so grateful because I wanted to know why I had it. She convinced me to go to the hospital and then asked me to put the phone on triage.”<\/p>\n

In another video<\/a>, Salmonson details the above events, racking up 2.2 million views.<\/p>\n

She told Newsweek: “They had to get a court order to give me medication against my will, as I refused.”<\/p>\n

Salmonson was hospitalized for around 50 days. During this time, she didn’t ask about her diagnosis.<\/p>\n

“I went to a psychiatrist appointment, and she sat me down and told me. I lost my mind and thought my life was over. I feared I might end up homeless. That is so far from the truth,” she said.<\/p>\n

Now living with her parents and working in sales for a mental health telehealth platform, Salmonson uses her online presence to advocate for mental health awareness.<\/p>\n

“I feel proud of myself,” she told Newsweek. “I lost a year of my life\u2014all of 25, I was experiencing all these symptoms\u2014but I have gained so much insight and life experience.<\/p>\n

“I thought I missed out on going back to school and progressing in my career, but I’ve gained empathy for people I wouldn’t have had otherwise.<\/p>\n

“People online have said I don’t look like I have schizophrenia<\/a> and think I’m making it up, but I’m sharing my story to break the stigma and raise awareness.<\/p>\n

“Medicine has improved and people can now live with this illness. I don’t have active symptoms anymore and I can enjoy a full, normal life in recovery.”<\/p>\n

Contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness<\/a>, HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or info@nami.org if you have any questions about schizophrenia or finding support and resources.<\/p>\n