Ace the 2026 CARN-AP Exam – Elevate Your Nursing Expertise Today!

Nicotine withdrawal commonly presents with mood changes, including depressed mood, as the brain’s reward pathways adjust after cessation. When nicotine is stopped, dopamine activity drops and can lead to a persistent low mood, irritability, and anxiety. This affective change is a hallmark of tobacco withdrawal, making depressed mood the best choice among the options. Nausea and headache can occur during withdrawal but are less characteristic and not as specifically linked to tobacco withdrawal; euphoria is not typical of withdrawal.