separation anxiety disorder

n. A psychological disorder of young children characterized by recurrent and excessive distress when faced with separation from an attachment figure such as a parent or leaving the home, persistent worry about losing the attachment figure, reluctance to go to school or otherwise be separated from an attachment figure, and being afraid to be alone or to go to sleep without an attachment figure. Children with this disorder also tend to have nightmares about being separated and to develop physical symptoms such as headaches or stomachaches when separated from attachment figures.