AA is based on 12 steps to recovery that act as a personal guide to sobriety. Participation in AA is entirely voluntary. For most members, however, their involvement progresses through a number of levels. At the first level, they attend meetings. At the second level, they read 12-step literature and discuss it with other members of the program. At the third level, they are guided by a sponsor who shows them how the program works. At the fourth level, they start implementing the 12 steps. As members start to grow and change -- a result of attending meetings and working the 12 steps -- they are ready to move to a fifth level of involvement and begin sponsoring others. After they gain experience as sponsors, they are then ready for the sixth level of involvement, general service work, guided by AA's 12 traditions, the set of principles that act as bylaws. In order to recover, chemically dependent people must understand how to access the power of this movement to recover. Twelve-step groups provide a powerful source of information, courage, strength, and hope. Although self-help programs can never replace professional care, they can be an effective, low-cost, and readily available adjunct to professional treatment.