mariaelana, I really don't know when menopause normally starts. I was about 52 when it started, so 42 sounds abit early. Just wondering if you are plain burn out; just too many demands on you from your family. How to cope with that is most likely difficult if you live in a "macho" household. But you have found the right place to vent, and there are lots of sympathetic hearts here.
How sweet of Chatty to suggest you contact her. She has given so many of us good sound advice.