Felt the urge to reply to your post, mainly because of the 'shouldn't be up there in the first place' comment.
We know we shouldn't press on in conditions that are unsuitable for visual flying if we're not instrument rated or the aircraft isn't fitted for it.
However, in Aust at least, the helicopter VMC criteria allow you to fly visually but close to cloud and in quite low vis.
Add in some heavy rain showers that reduce the visibility quickly, or perhaps find yourself having flown up a valley and, having to turn back, find the Wx behind you has deteriorated, and the scene is set for inadvertent IMC.
Many have come to grief in such situations, and a bit of instrument training may make all the difference in avoiding spiralling in.
I would say that the requirement for compulsory instrument famil training is well founded, and that the drummed-in response of 'getting on the AI' when you have lost visual reference and don't look like regaining it is a life-saver of the first magnitude.
Of course, you've got to have somewhere to go after that, but in the first instance the 'quick 180' should be a pretty good start.