You've got that right. She just couldn't put up with the affairs like the other Kennedy women could and carry on with a blank face with a smile pasted on. I never have understood how intelligent women could put up with that kind of behavior.
I feel very sorry for her. I hope her children treat her with love and respect and get help for her. She could live many happy years if she can recover from acute alcoholism and become sober.
No doubt you are right and they probably did some heavy duty drinking together when they were married, but the time comes when you have to take responsibility for you own actions and stop blaming others.
Joan and Ted have been divorced for many years. Although Ted Kennedy was a jerk and still is, she could have crawled out of the bottle and made a fresh start after the divorce.
People who make excuses for 'poor Joan' are enablers. I have no sympathy for drunks when they have people around them who try to help and don't want the help. Evidently that's Joan. They are hell bent on killing themselves and there isn't much anyone can do about it until they are serious about getting off the sauce. If they don't, their family buries them.