VPN impact on speed of internet access

I find that when using VPN it is incredibly slow internet access that I receive. And, in some cases, non-existent. Is there any way around or is the expectation I should have? It makes one incredibly reluctant to use the VPN because of the time it takes to connect, the speed with which connectivity takes place, and the general sluggishness of anything internet. Are there any settings I'm not making that would improve my experience? If not, I'm going to cancel the VPN protection because I'd like to try other faster alternatives out there.

Thanks in advance.

Philip Landry

philipjlandry