Case study of a patient with unoperated idiopathic scoliosis is considered in terms of experiences that accompanied the development of the disease and coping with it from childhood to late maturity; the leitmotiv and phenomenological semi-structured interviews were used as the main method. The disease is viewed in a broader context as a difficult life situation. Coping with the disease is determined not only by the objective severity of the disease, but also by resources (external and personal). Case study allows you to assess the subjective circumstances (experiences) that accompany the course of the disease. Some of these experiences are associated with illness and health: 1) the subjective severity of the disease; 2) the type of attitude towards the disease; 3) representations about health risks; 4) attitudes towards health and quality of life; 5) sanogenic and pathogenic habits. Other experiences are not directly related to illness and health, but significantly affect the coping with the disease and the adaptation of the individual. These are: 1) the idea of their personal and external resources in the fight against difficult life circumstances; 2) the ability to use personal and external resources; 3) personal activity of the individual (locus of control, values, autonomy); 4) satisfaction with life, optimism; 5) self-evaluation, a sense of self-efficacy; 6) psychological protection and coping. The study shows how the patient manifests an anosognosy type of response, compensation and hypercompensation, as an ergopatic (active) type of response to the disease is formed. The role of the personality of the patient and her environment in the formation of coping strategies with disease and social adaptation is revealed.