Skagging, or to
skag is a
slang term sometimes used to describe the period of time when one has taken too much
Ecstasy and the
buzz becomes too intense and turns into a complete
headfuck where nothing makes sense, you cannot stay vertical, your
heart feels like it's about to explode and you convince yourself that you are basically going to
die.
A truly unpleasant experience by all accounts and not uncommon among "first time flyers". For some it can be a life changing experience.
One school of thought is that when it actually happens to you, you feel so fucked that you say to yourself: "Jesus Christ, I am on the edge. If I survive this I am the luckiest guy in the world and I will never touch this crazy ass shit again. For as long as I exist, I have no wish to re-live this frightening experience."
And for some, that's the end of their drug taking careers. So in this case, it has proved to be beneficial to that person in that the experience was a sneak preview of what could happen if you OD on ecstasy, and so, they are put off for life.
On the other hand, there is the idea: "Woah man, I am totally fucking out of it. What the hell is going on? This isn't nice anymore, it's too intense. I was feeling great beforehand, so why am I feeling so sick now? I know, it's just a phase, I'll be fine in half an hour, just stick it out drink some water and everything will be fine."
This approach to the skag is used by the more seasoned pill head. It's happened to them before, they know how to handle it, they know that everything will be OK...eventually. The skag will pass, and they are ready for more.
It's at this stage that people should probably consider giving up doing ecstasy for a while, as I would imagine that skagging is not good for your body in any way whatsoever. A thoroughly bad and scary experience by all means.
As far as I know, the phrase was coined because some ecstasy pills do actually contain heroin (skag) and it is because of this that it messes with your body and mind so much.