GEORGIA, USA — As Georgia records one of the sharpest declines in opioid-related deaths nationwide, people in recovery are redefining what healing can look like — rooted in peace, connection and hope.

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Georgia is seeing a rise in overdoses, and there's a new group working to calm the tide. Standing on the bank of the Chattahoochee River is an exercise in serenity and in patience.

Twilight is descending on tiny Rock Creek Lake, a pond in the hills above Suches. Pink light hovers in the trees. The crickets trill. Barking frogs send up a serenade that sounds like a smoker’s cough ...