Apotemnophobia

Apotemnophobia (from the Greek apotemnein, "cut" and phobos, "fear") is a pathological fear of amputees, or of amputation.

When a person who suffers from this specific phobia sees an amputee, they will often feel restless and try to escape the situation. In serious cases a fight-or-flight response or panic attack may occur. In spite of how strong the symptoms can be, the person is generally aware that there is no real ground for their fear. Many Apotemnophobia sufferers are most affected by the view of the flailing unnatural stump, which causes the massive dread by the sense there should be something there.

In most cases the phobia can be treated with psychological techniques. The treatment method depends on the person and the way the phobia has arisen.