While clinginess and separation anxiety involves a strong desire for proximity to a significant attachment figure, they differ in intensity and impact on daily functioning. Clinginess can be a normal part of development, especially in young children, and typically involves a preference for being close to a loved one. Separation anxiety, on the other hand, is a diagnosable disorder characterized by excessive and developmentally inappropriate fear or anxiety concerning separation from those to whom the individual is attached. This fear or anxiety often leads to significant distress and impairment in social, academic, or other important areas of functioning.