insane IMC

Hello Folks



I live and fly in North Carolina. I am a 150-hour
private pilot about to take my instrument checkride.I need some help
overcoming my apprehension regarding IMC.
90 percent of my actual IMC has been after work,in the
hot summer months, in the dark dodging thunderstorm cells on x-country
flights.The approach controllers can't see the weather, just yesterday
they told us we were in a thunder cell while were were in VMC, 3 miles,
haze. Another time, while getting bounced near a towering cumulus
illuminated by lightning, an approach controller responded to our
request for cloud top info with a " ah..we're closed, contact Seymour
Johnson approach on their frequency."
I think this is insane, but how can one build actual
IMC experience without getting killed? Am I toying with my life in a
172 with no onboard weather equipment? Am I going to get more
confident? How many hours of actual IMC did YOU require before you
could relax and think clearly in the soup?Any thoughts appreciated.